QUESTION 10

1. All of the following global events have proved very negative for HSBC business model, except:

   	a.	President Xi Jinpings decision to crackdown on private sector Chinese companies like Jack Mas Alibaba.
   	b.	The plunge in sterling under Liz Truss since HSBC Group Treasury in London maintained its liquid assets in the British currency.
   	c.	The Chinese Politburo has no reformers who are pro-Western and pro-markets after the recent 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
   	d.	The Biden White Houses decision to ban advanced computer chip exports to China.
   	e.	A bull market in UAE and Saudi equities amid an IPO boom since HSBC has a major presence in both Gulf economies.

QUESTION 2

1. Which of the following statements is not accurate about the Japanese tech conglomerate Softbank?

   	a.	Softbank has strategic stake in Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba and British chip maker Arm Holdings.
   	b.	Softbank was one of the worlds most prominent investors in Silicon Valleys technology start-ups during the tech bubble.
   	c.	The shutdown of the IPO window in Nasdaq and monetary tightening by the Powell Fed is positive for Softbank.
   	d.	Softbank lost $100 million in bankrupt crypto exchange FTX and reported almost $10 billion in Q3 losses.
   	e.	The UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and Saudi Arabias PIF have invested $15 and $45 billion in Softbanks Vision Fund.