HSBC 2004 Annual Report Download - page 217

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Hong Kong Limited at least 25 per cent of the total
issued share capital of HSBC Holdings has been
held by the public at all times during 2004 and up
to the date of this Report.
Dealings in HSBC Holdings shares
Except for the dealings as intermediaries by HSBC
Bank, HSBC CCF Financial Products (France)
SNC and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation, which are members of a European
Economic Area exchange in market-making and
other dealing activities, neither HSBC Holdings nor
any subsidiary undertaking has bought, sold or
redeemed any securities of HSBC Holdings during
the year ended 31 December 2004.
Donations
During the year, HSBC made charitable donations
totalling US$69.2 million. Of this amount,
US$21.1 million was given for charitable purposes
in the United Kingdom.
No political donations were made during the
year.
At the Annual General Meeting in 2003
shareholders gave authority for HSBC Holdings
and HSBC Bank to make EU political donations
and incur EU political expenditure up to a
maximum aggregate sum of £250,000 and £50,000
respectively over a four-year period as a
precautionary measure in light of the wide
definitions in The Political Parties, Elections and
Referendums Act 2000. These authorities have not
been used.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of HSBC Holdings
will be held at the Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre,
London EC2 on Friday 27 May 2005 at 11.00 am.
An informal meeting of shareholders will be
held at Level 28, 1 Queen’s Road Central, Hong
Kong on Tuesday 24 May 2005 at 4.30pm.
A live webcast of the Annual General Meeting
will be available on www.hsbc.com. From shortly
after the conclusion of the Meeting until 30 June
2005 a recording of the proceedings will be
available on www.hsbc.com.
Auditor
KPMG Audit Plc has expressed its willingness to
continue in office. The Group Audit Committee
and the Board recommend that it be reappointed. A
resolution proposing the reappointment of KPMG
Audit Plc as auditor of HSBC Holdings and giving
authority to the Group Audit Committee to
determine its remuneration will be submitted to the
forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
On behalf of the Board
R G Barber, Secretary 28 February 2005