Toronto, Ontario (February 15, 2005) – CanDeal, Canada's leader in multidealer to client online debt securities trading is pleased to announce that HSBC Bank Canada and HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. have agreed to a multi-year commitment to join its trading network.

HSBC is a welcome addition to CanDeal's dealer group.  Other dealers in the network include TD Securities, ScotiaCapital, RBC Capital Markets, National Bank Financial, CIBC World Markets and BMO Nesbitt Burns.

Brad Meredith,  Executive Vice President, Investment Banking and Markets Canada, HSBC Bank Canada said, "We are pleased to become a liquidity provider to CanDeal.  This will allow us to better serve our existing clients and broaden our customer base. It is consistent with how global fixed income markets are evolving and clearly Canadian institutional fixed income clients have embraced electronic trading. We look forward to providing our clients with all the benefits of online execution."

Jayson Horner, President and CEO of CanDeal, added, "I am delighted to welcome another first class financial services organization to the CanDeal network. This development demonstrates our ongoing commitment to create an expanded pool of liquidity that institutional investors can access through CanDeal and it attests to the value that CanDeal has created for investment dealers as an effective means of serving clients.”

The introduction of CanDeal to the Canadian debt capital markets has been a material step in the evolution of debt trading in Canada; helping to ensure that Canada remains competitive with other G10 capital markets.  The addition of HSBC Bank Canada and HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. to the network is another important step to ensuring the success of a CanDeal goal to globalize online access for Canadian securities. 

About CanDeal.ca Inc. 
CanDeal is Canada's leading institutional investor to multi-dealer online debt securities trading network. CanDeal's robust and reliable platform provides its participants with continuous access to the deepest pool of liquidity for fixed income products. The network delivers the market making power of seven of Canada’s largest investment dealers. In addition to straight –through-processing, online trade allocations, real time trade blotters and confirmations, the system also provides its users with superior compliance and audit functionality. The CanDeal electronic marketplace is available to all institutional investors and investment dealers across Canada.

About HSBC 
HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 170 offices. With about 10,000 offices in 76 countries and territories and assets of US$1,154 billion at 30 June 2004, the HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations. HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Bank Canada, offers a full range of local and international investment and advisory services, leveraging the global capabilities and strengths of the HSBC Group.