HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second largest bank. It was founded in London in 1991 by the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation to act as a new groupholding company The origins of the bank lie in Hong Kong and Shanghai, where branches were first opened in 1865.The HSBC name is derived from the initials of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation As such, the company refers to both the United Kingdom and Hong Kong as its "home markets".
