The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (March 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$3,825.0 billion as at February 28, 2017, HK$48.9 billion higher than that at the end of January 2017.  Foreign currency assets increased by HK$41.7 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$7.2 billion.
      
     The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to mark-to-market gains on foreign currency portfolios, the purchase of foreign currencies with Hong Kong dollars and an increase in unsettled purchase of securities. These increases were partly offset by the redemption of Certificates of Indebtedness. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the increase in Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued but not yet settled, which was partly offset by the sale of Hong Kong dollars for foreign currencies.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of February 2017 was HK$1,649.3 billion, decreased by HK$20.2 billion, or 1.2%, from the end of January 2017. The decline was mainly due to a decrease in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
      
     The amount of Backing Assets decreased by HK$18.9 billion, or 1.1%, to HK$1,762.7 billion. The decrease was mainly attributable to the redemption of Certificates of Indebtedness. The backing ratio increased from 106.71% at the end of January 2017 to 106.87% at the end of February 2017.
      
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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 March 2017, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
     

March 7 (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
March 14  (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
March 31	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
March 31	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

Ends/Friday, March 31, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:30

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