With the growing adoption of electronic payments in emerging markets, global issuance of payment cards is projected to grow 36% to 18.3 billion during 2011-2016.
The noticeable improvement defies the stubbornly high interest rates that have so far meant for an uneasy market in 2024.
Consumer price inflation across the eurozone remained at 2.4% in the year to April, matching March’s reading.
CEO Noel Quinn announced early retirement after a five-year stint leading the bank.