The Bank of East Asia (BEA) issued its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) circular outlining key resolutions that shareholders will vote on 8 May 2026 in Hong Kong. The document details governance changes, new capital mandates and a slate of continuing connected transactions with Spanish lender CaixaBank.
AGM AGENDA Shareholders will consider eight ordinary resolutions, including receipt of the 2025 audited accounts, re-appointment of KPMG as auditor and re-election of five directors—Professor Arthur Li, Meocre Li, Dr Henry Tang, Dr Delman Lee and William Doo. All five are eligible and have offered themselves for re-election.
NEW STAFF SHARE OPTION SCHEME 2026 Management proposes replacing the expiring 2021 option plan with a decade-long Staff Share Option Scheme 2026. The scheme carries a 5.00 % issue limit of BEA’s issued share capital (equivalent to 132.10 million shares based on 2.64 billion shares outstanding at 18 March 2026). Options must vest over at least 12 months and include performance conditions plus claw-back provisions. Exercise price will be no lower than the higher of the grant-day closing price or the five-day average. Vesting may accelerate upon death, ill-health or certain corporate events.
CAPITAL AUTHORISATIONS Directors seek a fresh 10 % general mandate to issue, allot or transfer shares—including any treasury shares—equal to up to 264.21 million shares, alongside a 10 % share buy-back mandate. An additional mandate would extend the issue limit by the number of shares repurchased.
CONTINUING CONNECTED TRANSACTIONS WITH CAIXABANK BEA and CaixaBank executed a framework agreement on 26 February 2026 covering syndicated and trade-related loan assignments, risk participations and bond transfers. Subject to independent shareholder approval, the three-year agreement will run from 8 May 2026 to 7 May 2029. Annual caps for total transaction volume—covering both purchase and sale of loans or bonds—are set at HK$5.00 billion for the periods 8 May–31 Dec 2026, FY 2027 and FY 2028, and HK$2.00 billion for 1 Jan–7 May 2029.
The bank’s largest single-year utilisation to date was HK$1.18 billion in FY 2025, well below the proposed caps. Internal control measures require pricing to be negotiated on an arm’s-length basis, reflecting market valuations, tenure, credit risk and comparative third-party terms. BEA’s independent non-executive directors will review the transactions annually; Gram Capital has been appointed independent financial adviser and deems the terms fair and reasonable.
TIMETABLE AND VOTING The register of members closes 5–8 May 2026. Shareholders of record on 8 May 2026 may attend and vote in person or by proxy. Proxies must be lodged with Tricor Investor Services at least 48 hours before the meeting.