COVID-19 pandemic, falling interest rates, increased geopolitical risk and heightened levels of market volatility," he said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange,Even by the standards of the current economic maelstrom engulfing global banks, HSBC has had a torrid year.Before the coronavirus crisis it was beset by disappointing profit growth, ground down by US-China trade war uncertainties and Britain's departure from the European Union.The Asia-focused lender embarked on a huge cost-cutting initiative at the start of the year, including plans to slash some 35,000 jobs as well as trimming fat from less profitable divisions, primarily in the United States and Europe.The coronavirus upended some of that cost-cutting drive with banks.