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Investors may be wondering whether HSBC Holdings is still offering value after a strong run, or if the stock is now pricing in too much optimism.
The stock most recently closed at £14.45, with returns of 0.2% over the past week, 4.3% over the past month, 21.3% year to date and 73.0% over the last year. The three-year return sits at 188.2% and the five-year return is very large.
Recent news coverage around HSBC Holdings has focused on its global banking footprint and the way investors are assessing large, diversified banks in the current rate and regulatory backdrop. This context is important because it shapes how the market is weighing both the company’s earnings power and the risks attached to its balance sheet.
On Simply Wall St’s valuation checks, HSBC Holdings currently has a value score of 2 out of 6. The next sections will compare different valuation approaches to that score, followed by a broader way to think about what the stock might be worth over time.
HSBC Holdings scores just 2/6 on our valuation checks. See what other red flags we found in the full valuation breakdown.
Approach 1: HSBC Holdings Excess Returns Analysis
The Excess Returns model for HSBC Holdings looks at how much profit the company may be able to earn above the return required by its shareholders, and then capitalises those extra profits into an intrinsic value per share.
For HSBC Holdings, the current book value is £10.17 per share, with a stable earnings per share estimate of £1.89. These earnings expectations are based on weighted future Return on Equity estimates from 16 analysts. The average Return on Equity used in the model is 15.99%, compared with a per share cost of equity of £0.99. That gap produces an estimated excess return of £0.90 per share. This is then applied to a stable book value of £11.80 per share, based on projections from 8 analysts.
Putting these inputs together, the Excess Returns model produces an intrinsic value estimate of £22.50 per share. Against the recent share price of £14.45, this implies the stock is 35.8% undervalued on this framework.
Result: UNDERVALUED
Our Excess Returns analysis suggests HSBC Holdings is undervalued by 35.8%. Track this in your watchlist or portfolio, or discover 8 more high quality undervalued stocks.
HSBA Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2026
Story Continues
Approach 2: HSBC Holdings Price vs Earnings
For a profitable bank like HSBC Holdings, the P/E ratio is a useful yardstick because it links what you pay for the stock to the earnings the company is currently generating. Investors usually accept a higher P/E when they expect stronger earnings growth or perceive lower risk, and a lower P/E when growth expectations are modest or risks are higher.
HSBC Holdings currently trades on a P/E of 15.46x. That sits above the Banks industry average of 11.43x and the peer average of 11.65x. On a simple comparison this suggests the stock trades at a richer valuation than many large bank peers. However, these simple comparisons do not adjust for company specific factors that might justify a different multiple.
Simply Wall St’s Fair Ratio aims to address this by estimating what P/E might be appropriate for HSBC Holdings given its earnings growth profile, industry, profit margins, market capitalisation and risk characteristics. On this framework, HSBC Holdings has a Fair Ratio of 10.85x. Since the current P/E of 15.46x is higher than this Fair Ratio, the multiple suggests the stock is trading above what this model would view as a fair earnings based valuation.
Result: OVERVALUED
LSE:HSBA P/E Ratio as at Jun 2026
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Upgrade Your Decision Making: Choose your HSBC Holdings Narrative
Earlier we mentioned that there is an even better way to understand valuation. Narratives on Simply Wall St give you a clear story for HSBC Holdings that links your view of its business to a set of revenue, earnings and margin forecasts, turns those forecasts into a Fair Value, then lets you compare that Fair Value with today’s price and see, in a simple way, whether your story points you toward buying, holding or selling.
In practice, a Narrative is your own structured take on HSBC Holdings, where you spell out why you think the focus on Asian wealth management, digital investment and balance sheet risks might support or constrain future results, and the platform converts that into explicit numbers so the story is not just qualitative opinion.
These Narratives live in the Community section, which is used by millions of investors, and are automatically refreshed when new information such as results or news headlines arrive. They can differ widely. For example, one investor might anchor to a Fair Value close to £17.29, while another works off a far more cautious view near £7.73. Yet both can see in one place how their assumptions translate into a price and how far that sits from the current £14.45 share price.
Do you think there’s more to the story for HSBC Holdings? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!
LSE:HSBA 1-Year Stock Price Chart
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Companies discussed in this article include HSBA.L.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com