HSBC has warned about emerging markets volatility after struggling in Latin America last year, but Europe's biggest bank still managed a 15.5 per cent jump in annual net profits.
London-headquartered HSBC also controversially unveiled measures to avoid new EU rules on bank bonuses, drawing the wrath of union bosses.
Profit after tax at the bank climbed to $US16.2 billion ($A18.09 billion) in 2013 as it pushed on with a major cost-cutting program that is set to continue at least for another two years.
The group's share price slid in London trading however, on news that pre-tax profits missed market expectations.
Net profit had stood at $US14.03 billion in 2012, when HSBC was hit by US money-laundering fines, mis-selling scandals and a huge accounting charge.
Group revenues meanwhile dipped five per cent to $US64.6 billion last year.
"Our performance in 2013 reflects the strategic measures we have taken over the past three years," said HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver, referring to the bank's cost-cutting program which has reduced its worldwide staff total by 41,000 since 2011.
"Today the group is leaner and simpler than in 2011 with strong potential for growth," Gulliver said in comments included in the bank's earnings statement on Monday.
He said the bank was "optimistic about the longer-term prospects of emerging markets" despite its own expectations "of greater volatility in 2014".
HSBC noted that in Latin America, where underlying pre-tax profit fell, earnings were impacted by "slower economic growth and inflationary pressures".
The bank will meanwhile push on with its savings program, having announced in May plans to cut costs by a further $US2.0 billion to $US3.0 billion between 2014 and 2016.
HSBC added that its pre-tax profit rose 9.0 per cent to $US22.6 billion last year, lower than market expectations of $US24.5 billion according to a survey by Dow Jones Newswires.
The bank's share price shed 2.83 per cent to close down at 635.70 pence on London's FTSE 100 index, which rose 0.41 per cent.
