[ GIF: A person throwing a wrench into a machine ]
HSBC is all like " profits are fine" but shareholders are all "profits nope"
[ GIF: A graph showing a tank plummeting ]
Asian business is a major problem, investors say
[ Image of a person holding a pie chart with the Asian business section cut off ]
Break it up, they say! (or at least 75% of them)
[ GIF: CEO Quinn smiling, but with a hint of sweat on his forehead ]
When will CEOs admit "we got this one wrong"
[ Image of a calendar with a big X marked through May ]
General meeting in May... better mark your calendars
[ GIF: A person shrugging, with a confused expression ]
I think it's crazy how much pressure these shareholders are putting on HSBC to break up its Asian business... like, isn't that just part of what makes them a global bank in the first place? 
Of course, I get why some investors are worried about profitability and value - who doesn't want their money to grow?! 
But breaking up the whole thing seems extreme. What if it disrupts all those Asian connections they've built over the years? And what's with all this criticism about SVB UK... did they really not do enough due diligence on their customers?! 
It's just so frustrating when you think back to all the times your money's invested in a company and then suddenly it's "breaking up" - makes you wonder if you're just stuck with some random new partner who has no idea what they're doing 
.
. Like, dont get me wrong, profits are cool and all, but whats the point of havin a bank if u cant even connect with the ppl in asia? 
Its like tryna split urself into diff pieces and expect everythin to still work out 
they need to take a step back and think about what's best for the bank and not just the shareholders. i mean, 75% majority vote is a big ask but if it means the bank can actually start making some decent profits again then i'm all for it 
like, what happened to the people who just want to do good banking? not this crazy high-stakes game of corporate risk management. anyway, only time will tell if the shareholders' demands are enough to turn things around 
. Investors are like "split up your Asian business ASAP" and the execs are all "but we're doing fine, don't worry". I feel like they should just draw a Venn diagram of "Asian Business Profit = Good, Breaking Up = Good" to visualize their thinking 
. Meanwhile, the majority of shareholders are over here like, "Uh, guys, we need some returns on our investment before we get too excited about your strategy" 
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