The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that HSBC Bank Canada is driving sentiment in the share prices of the Big Six banks after its fiscal fourth quarter results exposed concerns in the banking sector. The Globe's David Berman writes that HSBC's net interest income, or the income generated when a bank borrows at short-term rates and lends at longer-term rates, declined by $21-million to $295-million from the fourth quarter of 2013. Within commercial banking, profit before income tax declined by $41-million to $119-million -- with the narrowing spreads and rising loan-impairment charges getting most of the blame. HSBC president Paulo Maia says, "Our bottom line continues to be impacted by the decisions taken to reposition the business in line with our strategy and the low interest rate environment." The results arrived at the same time that parent HSBC Holdings PLC reported disappointing fiscal fourth quarter results. Pretax profits fell 56 per cent, missing estimates and sending the shares down 5.2 per cent in early United States trading. Canadian bank stocks joined the sell-off. The S&P/TSX commercial bank index fell 1.2 per cent in midday trading on Monday.