How lower US interest rates will help Hongkongers even if local prime rates don’t drop

Hong Kong banks may not cut their prime rates this year, but local interbank rates will still follow US rates lower, benefiting a majority of borrowers, according to a senior executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Analysts widely expect the US Federal Reserve to cut its key rate by three-quarters of a point this year, but Hong Kong commercial banks are unlikely to cut their prime lending rates more than they already have. “It would be hard for banks to cut their prime rate any...