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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (February 28) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,192.5 billion as at January 31, 2018, HK$169.0 billion higher than that at the end of December 2017.  Foreign currency assets increased by HK$130.2 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$38.8 billion.
      
     The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to the increase in unsettled purchases of securities, purchase of foreign currencies with Hong Kong dollars and income from foreign currency portfolios.  The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to additional placements from Fiscal Reserves and an increase in market value of Hong Kong equities, which were partly offset by sale of Hong Kong dollars for foreign currencies.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of January 2018 was HK$1,700.5 billion, increased by HK$5.9 billion, or 0.4%, from the end of December 2017.  The rise was mainly due to the 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$1,836.5 billion.  The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness and income from investments.  The backing ratio decreased from 108.08% at the end of December 2017 to 108% at the end of January 2018.

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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 February 2018, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

February 7 (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
February 14 (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
February 28	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
February 28	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

Ends/Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:40

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