HSBC to cut 20,000 jobs globally

HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, is planning to cut 20,000 jobs around the world as it tries to reduce costs and simplify its business.

That accounts for more than seven percent of its 266,000 jobs globally. About 8,000 of those cuts will happen in the UK.

The bank will also sell businesses in Turkey and Brazil, it said on Tuesday.

HSBC confirmed that it was reviewing whether to move its headquarters out of the UK, and will make a decision by the end of the year.

The lender said it would reduce its asset base by $290bn (£189bn) in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange where it is listed, along with London.

Its Hong Kong listed shares were up 0.6 percent after the announcement.

The news comes ahead of a presentation that chief executive Stuart Gulliver will give to investors and analysts in his second major strategy plan since becoming the head of the bank in 2011.

"We recognise that the world has changed and we need to change with it. That is why we are outlining the following... strategic actions that will further transform our organisation," he said in a statement.

The new plan will see the lender shrink its banking and markets divisions to less than one third of the bank's $2.6tn balance sheet.