On Tuesday (30 April), the HSBC (LSE:HSBA) share price rose on the back of a positive earnings report. However, there’s a few other things going on. Let’s take a closer look at the full picture. HSBC beat the market’s expectations for the first quarter of the year. An ‘earnings beat’ often results in the share price pushing upwards unless there is some unwelcome guidance — for the next quarter(s) — or changes to dividends or buyback policy. The largest listed bank in the UK posted a 1.8% drop in first-quarter profit to $12.7bn (£10bn), but some softening was expected versus the first quarter of 2023. However, the results were still better than anticipated. Revenue came in at $20.8bn, marking a strong performance versus the median forecast for about $16.9bn. Moreover, HSBC announced a $3bn share buyback, and approved a first interim dividend of 10¢ per share, in addition to a special dividend of 21¢ per share. The special dividend came after the increasingly Asia-focused bank completed the sales of its Canadian banking unit for $9.96bn. The earnings report coincided with a surprise announcement that HSBC group chief executive Noel Quinn would be leaving after five years in the job. His resignation...