HSBC to start selling £25bn of toxic US debt

clock

HSBC is preparing its first sale of sub-prime loans since the height of the financial crash, as Britain's largest bank begins to off-load more than $40bn (£25bn) of toxic US debt it still holds on its books.

The bank is planning to sell four sub-prime loan portfolios worth a total of $2.7bn in the next year, with hedge funds already expressing an interest, according to the Daily Telegraph. The disposals will mark the first time HSBC has sold any of its holding of sub-prime debt since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 and is intended to kick off the sale of the $44.2bn of toxic debt still held by the bank. HSBC was one of the first banks to recognise the problems in the US sub-prime housing market, where millions of Americans were given loans to buy properties they could no...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

How quality investing behaves through the cycle

How quality investing behaves through the cycle

Resilience when it matters more

Joseph Stephens and Laura Neill
clock 14 September 2026 • 4 min read
Why portfolios need to evolve, not revolve when it comes to client outcomes

Why portfolios need to evolve, not revolve when it comes to client outcomes

'As market structures evolve, so must portfolio construction'

Ed Senior
clock 11 September 2026 • 4 min read
What does 'quality' investing actually mean?

What does 'quality' investing actually mean?

Why persistence is the real test

Joseph Stephens and Laura Neill
clock 11 September 2026 • 4 min read