HSBC would be a real alphabet soup if the company's name reflected its geographic diversity. One of the world's largest banking groups by assets (and the leader in customer deposits, with more than $1 trillion), HSBC Holdings owns subsidiaries throughout Europe, Hong Kong, and the rest of the Asia/Pacific region, the Middle East, and Africa, and the Americas. All told, the company has some 6,000 locations in more than 70 countries. Its activities include consumer and commercial banking, credit cards, private banking, investment banking, and leasing. Its North American operations include HSBC USA, HSBC Bank Canada, HSBC Bank Bermuda, and Grupo Financiero HSBC in Mexico.