HSBC says to increase risk appetite in retail bank

LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - HSBC Holdings plans totake more lending risks in retail banking and wealth managementto accelerate its revenue growth, the head of the business saidon Friday.

"We are exploring the potential to take more credit risk aswe head into next year," John Flint, head of retail banking andwealth management (RBWM), told analysts via a webcast.

Flint said losses from bad loans are under control in mostof the bank's markets, but said the increased risk appetitecould be restricted by regulatory changes in some markets.

He said there had been no change to HSBC's targets to add $3billion in extra wealth management revenues and deliver a returnon risk weighted assets of 5-5.5 percent by 2016, compared with4.9 percent in the first nine months of this year.