World's best bank for public-sector clients 2018: HSBC

When it comes to the big themes in the public sector over the last 12 months – Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the booming green finance market and the effects of rising rates and an appreciating dollar on sovereign borrowers – HSBC seems to be right in the middle of it all. More importantly, the bank is connecting the dots.

Take Egypt. The bank has played an important part in the country’s economic comeback since the IMF granted it a three-year $12 billion extended funding facility in 2016. In November 2017, having already helped the central bank fill a $6 billion funding gap identified by the IMF with a $2 billion reverse repo the year before, the bank once again helped the Central Bank of Egypt boost foreign currency reserves with a second, $3.1 billion reverse repo. HSBC also arranged a private placement of bonds issued by the ministry of finance to the central bank and lead the sovereign’s $2.5