HSBC to go after 'aggressive growth path' - 2004-03-04
Saying his team has planned an "aggressive growth path" in Taiwan this year, HSBC Taiwan CEO Paul Leech yesterday mentioned he would be growing the bank's operations in 2004 to beef up their three core revenue-generators: Consumer, corporate, and treasury and capital markets businesses.

HSBC's consumer business had hit the jackpot in 2003 with its "Smart Mortgage" product, he said. This, despite the cut-throat competition that has put a lot of pressure on margins.
Read the full story at eTaiwanNews.com

U.S. mortgage bond market waits for payrolls report - 2004-03-04
U.S. mortgage-backed bond prices and yield spreads were mixed on Thursday as the market
awaits for the February employment report, which could establish the tone for U.S. interest rates in coming weeks.

The report, due early on Friday, is expected to show a 125,000 gain in nonfarm payrolls, while the jobless rate is expected to remain unchanged at 5.6 percent.
Read the full story at Reuters via Forbes