HSBC Holdings plc

HSBC was established in Hong Kong in March 1865 to finance trade between Europe and Asia; it opened in Shanghai one month later. Its international network and identity still reflect that original cross-border focus, although the group is headquartered in London today.

HSBC operates through four businesses: Hong Kong, the UK, Corporate and Institutional Banking, and International Wealth and Premier Banking. It serves around 41 million personal, wealth and corporate customers across 56 countries and territories, with graduate and internship opportunities spanning areas such as investment banking, transaction banking, trading, sales, data and technology.

The firm is especially strong in international connectivity: HSBC says it facilitated approximately $900 billion of trade volumes in 2025, while wealth balances reached $2.1 trillion. For students, its appeal is the combination of a large universal-bank platform with particularly deep exposure to Asia, cross-border corporate finance and global transaction banking.