(The following statement was released by the rating agency)
Oct 11 - Overview
-- Hong Kong-based Hang Seng has slowed its loan growth and strengthened itscapitalization over the past two years.
-- We are affirming our 'AA-/A-1+' issuer credit ratings on Hang Seng.
-- We are raising the stand-alone credit profile to 'a+' from 'a' following our revisedprojection that the bank's risk-adjusted capital ratio will stay above 7% amid slower loangrowth and still-strong earnings in the coming two years.
-- Our stable outlook reflects the bank's ongoing government support, its status as a coresubsidiary of HSBC , and a lack of meaningful pressure on the SACP.
Rating Action
On Oct. 11, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'AA-' long-term issuercredit rating on Hong Kong-based Hang Seng Bank Limited. The outlook is stable. At the sametime, we affirmed the 'A-1+' short-term issuer credit rating. We also affirmed our'cnAAA/cnA-1+' Greater China regional scale ratings on the bank.