HSBC Holdings (HKG:0005) has purchased 1.97 million ordinary shares on UK venues and nearly 2.1 million shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for cancellation, as part of its buy-back program announced on Feb. 20.

In the UK, shares were bought at an average price of 8.9747 sterling pounds with prices ranging between 8.8910 and 9.0290 pounds. In Hong Kong, the average price was about HK$89.44, with shares purchased ranging between HK$89.25 and 89.8.

Since the buy-back began, HSBC has repurchased more than 125 million shares for approximately $1.42 billion, according to a bourse filing on Thursday.

Following the cancellation of UK-purchased shares, the company's issued share capital will stand at 17.8 billion ordinary shares.

A further update on voting rights will be provided once the Hong Kong-purchased shares are cancelled, as the process takes longer than in the UK. HSBC holds no shares in treasury.