Backing away from U.S. consumers

摘要

HSBC agreed to sell its U.S. credit-card unit as it tries to focus on emerging markets. Capital One, which recently agreed to buy ING's U.S. online bank, will pay a $2.6 billion premium for the acquisition above the value of the unit's existing consumer-loan balances. The sale continues the pullback from U.S. consumer banking by HSBC, which on July 31 agreed to sell almost half its U.S. retail branches, primarily in upstate New York.