Pre-tax profit dropped in the first quarter for British lender HSBC Holdings Plc compared to the same period of the previous year, the bank reported on Tuesday. HSBC reported that its first-quarter profit before tax dropped to $12.65 billion from last year's $12.89 billion. Profit after tax was $10.84 billion, compared to $11.03 billion a year ago. However, earnings per share grew to $0.54 from last year's $0.52 on lower share count. The latest results included a $4.8 billion gain following the