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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (May 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$3,546.1 billion as at April 30, 2016, HK$41.2 billion higher than that at the end of March 2016. Foreign currency assets increased by HK$32.7 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$8.5 billion.
The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to an increase in unsettled purchases of securities, the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness and the mark-to-market gains on foreign currency portfolios. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to additional placements from Fiscal Reserves, HKSAR government funds and statutory bodies and the increase in market value of Hong Kong equities.
The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of April 2016 was HK$1,607.8 billion, increased by HK$4.6 billion, or 0.3%, from the end of March 2016. The rise was mainly due to an increase in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$5.1 billion, or 0.3%, to HK$1,717.0 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness. The backing ratio increased from 106.78% at the end of March 2016 to 106.79% at the end of April 2016.
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of May 2016, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
May 6 (Issued)
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
May 13 (Issued)
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
May 31
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
May 31
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
Ends/Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:39
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