Global banking giant HSBC Holdings plc today reported a 17% rise in full year profits, aided by growth in new markets.

HSBC, which operates in the UK, Europe, Asia and the Americas, said that net profit for 2005 was US$15.08 billion ($17.12 billion), up from US$12.92 billion the previous year.

Pre-tax profit for the year was up 10.8% to US$21 billion. Revenue rose 10.2% to US$61.7 billion.

“HSBC’s core businesses in the U.S., Hong Kong and the UK produced robust performances and we made good progress in a number of key areas of focus,” said Sir John Bond, the company’s chairman, in a release.

The bank said it made 32.8% of its pretax profit in North America in 2005, 21.5% in Hong Kong and 12.3% in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Europe accounted for 30.3% of the total and South America for 3.1%.

The most significant shift was in Hong Kong, which contributed 25.5% of pre-tax profit in 2004, while the rest of the Asia-Pacific region’s overall contribution to HSBC profits was 9.8% in 2004.