LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC <HSBA.L> <0005.HK> said it does not expect Britain to change its bank levy policy before the next general election due in 2015 and said it is likely to pay about $800 million on the tax this year. HSBC has said the levy unfairly hits banks with big overseas operations. Half its payment last year was on non-UK banking activity.

LONDON - HSBC has announced it is seeking a further $2 billion-$3 billion in cost savings as it continues to trim its global empire — a move analysts say could come at the cost of additional jobs. In a statement, HSBC PLC Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver said Wednesday the cuts are part of a cost-saving strategy which has already seen 52 peripheral or underperforming units close. The bank has also trimmed 40,000 jobs from a workforce of 300,000 since 2011, and the new savings are expected to translate into additional layoffs.

LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC <HSBA.L> said its first quarter profits almost doubled from a year ago to more than $8 billion as bad debts and costs fell, with Europe's biggest bank showing the benefit of a 3-year restructuring plan. HSBC <0005.HK> reported a pretax profit of $8.4 billion on Tuesday, up from $4.3 billion a year ago and above the average forecast of $8.1 billion from analysts polled by the company.

HSBC on Tuesday said it planned a net reduction of 1,149 British jobs under a shake-up of the global bank's division that deals with high-depositing investors. "HSBC is today proposing changes within its UK business which will lead to a potential reduction of 1,149 roles," the British bank said in a statement.