The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (31 August) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,553.1 billion as at 31 July 2021, HK$13.5 billion lower than that at the end of June 2021. Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$17.4 billion while foreign currency assets increased by HK$3.9 billion.
The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the mark-to-market revaluation on Hong Kong equities. The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to the mark-to-market revaluation on foreign currency investments, which was partly offset by a decrease in the month-end balances of unsettled purchase of securities.
The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of July 2021 was HK$2,117.5 billion, decreased by HK$0.6 billion, or 0.03%, from the end of June 2021. The decline was mainly due to a decrease in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$3.8 billion, or 0.2%, to HK$2,333.4 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the income from investments. The backing ratio increased from 109.99% at the end of June 2021 to 110.20% at the end of July 2021.
Annex 1: Abridged Balance Sheet of the Exchange Fund
Annex 2: Currency Board Account
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
31 August 2021
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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 August 2021, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
6 August |
SDDS International Reserves |
13 August |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
31 August |
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity |
31 August |
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account |