LONDON, June 29, 2026, 12:04 BST
- Standard Chartered was up 0.74% at 2,051p in London trading around midday.
- The stock is about 15% higher than the average price the bank paid for its finished $1.5 billion buyback.
- A report out the same day said the bank will boost its M&A team, taking the group to over 100 bankers.
- For investors, buyback support is gone. Now the stock needs more from fee growth and returns.
Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) traded up at 12:04 BST on Monday, moving ahead of the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) in regular trading on the London Stock Exchange. The stock gained after finishing a buyback. Investors also looked at its plans to grow the bank’s advisory business.
| Security | Latest sourced level | Move | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) | 2,051.00p | up 0.74% | Davy, 12:01 p.m. delayed read |
| HSBC Holdings plc (LON:HSBA) | 1,430.76p | added 0.57% | Davy, 09:58 a.m. delayed read |
| Barclays PLC (LON:BARC) | 508.80p | fell 0.37% vs last close, calc | Investors’ Chronicle market data |
| FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) | 10,489.39 | off 0.18% | Investors’ Chronicle, 11:47 BST delayed |
Standard Chartered finished its $1.5 billion buyback program launched in February, telling the market last week it had bought 62.8 million shares for cancellation at an average price of 1,780.3262p. The stock is well above that now, with Monday’s reference price at 2,051p—up 15.2% over the buyback average. That’s a gain on paper for the program, but it leaves new buyers facing a steeper entry price. Standard Chartered is no longer buying under this program.
| Buyback item | Figure | Investor read-through |
|---|---|---|
| Shares bought for cancellation | 62.8 million | This is about 2.8% of the shares before cancellation |
| Average repurchase price | 1,780.3262p | Monday’s price at 2,051p is 15.2% higher than what was paid |
| Shares in issue after cancellation | 2.191 billion | Reduced share count lifts per-share numbers |
| Aggregate programme size | about $1.5 billion | The full buyback amount is used up |
Fees make up the other part of the trade. Standard Chartered is looking to expand its M&A team to over 100 bankers, Financial News said Monday, as the bank picks up senior hires from Citigroup Inc NYSE:C, Deutsche Bank AG (ETR:DBK) and HSBC. Rajesh Singhi, who runs the bank’s global M&A group, told the outlet, “We are doubling down on our M&A business.” Financial News London
The numbers back up why it’s still a small game for now. Financial News, citing Dealogic, said Standard Chartered is 85th in the global M&A league tables in 2026 to date, highest at 26th place in the Middle East. Singhi said M&A at the bank has grown “by around 50%” in the last couple of years and aims to “sustain this rate of growth” going forward. Financial News London
That’s the stock take. After retiring almost 3% of its shares, the bank needs growth to drive returns. Advisory can help since it’s lighter on the balance sheet than lending. But Standard Chartered’s global position in advisory is low. Singhi said the strategy is to “identify niches” and not go after the big market share.
Standard Chartered posted first-quarter operating income up 9% to a record $5.9 billion. Global Banking income came in 19% higher. Profit before tax hit a record $2.5 billion, up 17% at constant currency. Return on tangible equity was 17.4%. CEO Bill Winters called it a “record first quarter performance.” Interim finance chief Pete Burrill also pointed to “record income of USD5.9 bn and profit before tax of USD2.5 bn.” Standard Chartered Bank
The shares dropped 1.31% Friday to £20.36, lagging the FTSE 100. The stock stayed well under its June 24 52-week peak of £22.78. Monday’s close was still about 10% below that mark.
