香港金融管理局（金管局）今日公布外匯基金截至1998年6月底未經審核的資產負債表。根據剛公布的數字顯示，1998年上半年外匯基金總資產由1997年12月底的6,367億港元增加至 1998年6月底的6,595億港元，升幅為3.6%。連同少數股東權益計算在內，外匯基金的累計盈餘由1997年12月底的1,902億港元增加至1998年6月底的2,020億港元，升幅為6.2%。
金管局總裁任志剛說：「在亞洲金融風暴的背景下，市場表現反覆不定，外匯基金累計盈餘在這段期間能夠取得6.2%的增長，實在令人鼓舞。」
金管局一直審慎管理外匯基金，在1998年上半年市況極為波動的情況下，採取了防禦性的債券和貨幣投資策略。
金管局對1998年下半年的投資前景並不樂觀。隨著歐元推出，預期全球股票和債券市場表現會更為反覆。美國利率可能會上升，而這種情況會對美國債券和股票市場構成不利影響。由於美元繼續保持強勢，以美元來計算，基金中的非美元資產表現亦可能會未如理想。
任志剛又說：「金管局會繼續審慎管理外匯基金，力求在回報、風險與流動性之間取得平衡，並會完全遵循外匯基金諮詢委員會定下的指引。」
與去年同期比較，外匯基金總資產在1998年上半年的增幅放緩，是因為政府庫務署存放在外匯基金的財政儲備增長減慢。在1998年下半年，外匯基金的財政儲備預期會被進一步提取，可能會導致外匯基金的總資產在1998年底出現減少。
香港金融管理局
1998年7月23日
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Exchange Fund Balance Sheet as at |
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| 30 June 1998 |
31 December 1997 | 30 June 1997 | 31 December 1996 | 30 June 1996 | 31 December 1995 | |
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | (Unaudited) | (Audited) | (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |
| HK$ Million | HK$ Million | HK$ Million | HK$ Million | HK$ Million | HK$ Million | |
| (Group) | (Group) | (Fund) | (Fund) | (Fund) | (Fund) | |
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash and short-term funds | 98,615 | 99,880 | 125,050 | 126,648 | 117,208 | 100,343 |
| Fixed deposits | 50,565 | 74,999 | 66,796 | 63,401 | 56,780 | 76,830 |
| Certificates of deposit | 43,522 | 69,387 | 74,578 | 64,065 | 49,880 | 23,657 |
| Investments | 446,774 | 374,588 | 292,302 | 270,869 | 249,326 | 250,702 |
| Mortgage loans | 4,141 | 650 | ||||
| Fixed assets | 287 | 290 | 167 | 166 | 97 | 58 |
| Other assets | 15,633 | 16,896 | 9,861 | 9,368 | 11,703 | 9,144 |
| Total Assets (Appendix A) |
659,537 | 636,690 | 568,754 | 534,517 | 484,994 | 460,734 |
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| LIABILITIES | ||||||
| Certificates of Indebtedness | 84,675 | 87,015 | 91,985 | 82,480 | 78,270 | 77,600 |
| Coins in circulation | 5,648 | 5,399 | 4,564 | 4,164 | 3,797 | 3,597 |
| Balance of banking system | 497 | 296 | 480 | 474 | 3,925 | 1,762 |
| Exchange Fund Bills and Notes | 87,758 | 89,338 | 89,338 | 83,509 | 56,726 | 53,311 |
| The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited Notes | 1,362 | |||||
| Fiscal Reserves Account | 245,393 | 237,629 | 182,168 | 145,898 | 148,801 | 125,916 |
| Placements by other institutions and other borrowings | 24,887 | 21,062 | 13,504 | 39,125 | 25,813 | 34,302 |
| Other liabilities | 7,272 | 5,740 | 4,828 | 6,005 | 6,008 | 4,112 |
| Total Liabilities | 457,492 | 446,479 | 386,867 | 361,655 | 323,340 | 300,600 |
| NET ASSETS | 202,045 | 190,211 | 181,887 | 172,862 | 161,654 | 160,134 |
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| REPRESENTING | ||||||
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| ACCUMULATED SURPLUS | 201,949 | 190,136 | 181,887 | 172,862 | 161,654 | 160,134 |
| MINORITY INTERESTS | 96 | 75 | ||||
| TOTAL | 202,045 | 190,211 | 181,887 | 172,862 | 161,654 | 160,134 |
Note : The consolidated balance sheet for 30 June 1998 and 31 December 1997 comprises the accounts of the Exchange Fund (Fund) and its subsidiary companies (Group).
Balance sheets for prior periods were not prepared on a consolidated basis. The financial effect of the change is immaterial.
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TOTAL ASSETS |
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| 30 June 1998 | 31 December 1997 | 30 June 1997 | 31 December 1996 | 30 June 1996 | 31 December 1995 | |
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | (Unaudited) | (Audited) | (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |
| HK$mn | (Group) | (Group) | (Fund) | (Fund) | (Fund) | (Fund) |
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| Foreign currency assets | 608,923 | 588,475 | 523,891 | 493,802 | 443,609 | 428,547 |
| Hong Kong dollar assets | 50,614 | 48,215 | 44,863 | 40,715 | 41,385 | 32,187 |
| Total | 659,537 | 636,690 | 568,754 | 534,517 | 484,994 | 460,734 |
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| Statistics on total foreign currency assets and forward foreign exchange transactions of the Exchange Fund are shown below. | ||||||
| HK$mn | 30 June 1998 | 31 December 1997 | 30 June 1997 | 31 December 1996 | 30 June 1996 | 31 December 1995 |
| Exchange Fund foreign currency assets excluding forward transactions | 608,923 | 588,475 | 523,891 | 493,802 | 443,609 | 428,547 |
| Net forward transactions | 190 | 1,892 | 16,377 | 44,235 | 20,578 | 13,507 |
| Including forward transactions | 609,113 | 590,367 | 540,268 | 538,037 | 464,187 | 442,054 |
| US$ equivalent at market rates | US$78,609 mn | US$76,191 mn | US$69,736 mn | US$69,559 mn | US$59,966 mn | US$57,171 mn |
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| Note : The consolidated balance sheet for 30 June 1998 and 31 December 1997 comprises the accounts of the Exchange Fund (Fund) and its subsidiary | ||||||
| companies (Group). Balance sheets for prior periods were not prepared on a consolidated basis. The financial effect of the change is immaterial. | ||||||
