Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Q1 profits beat forecasts at StanChart

(Sharecast News) - First-quarter profits at Standard Chartered came in ahead of expectations on Thursday, driven by strong growth in the blue chip's wealth business. Net interest income (NII) rose 1% to $2.9bn in the three months to March end, while non-interest income was 16% stronger at $3bn, after wealth solutions posted a record 32% surge in income. Global banking also saw strong growth, with income up 19%.

Operating income sparked 10% at $5.9bn, while pre-tax profits jumped 17% on a constant currency basis to $2.45bn. Analysts had been expecting pre-tax profits of around $2.14bn.

Bill Winters, chief executive, said: "Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty, our advantaged market presence and disciplined risk management gives us confidence in our ability to perform."

The Asia-focused lender left its full-year guidance unchanged, for operating income growth around the bottom end of a 5% to 7% range, with NII broadly flat within that.

However, it also confirmed a $190m provision for expected losses from the impact of the war in Iran, and raised its internal forecast of the probability of a "sustained" conflict to 70%.

StanChart's Hong Kong-listed shares were up 5% as at 0800 BST.

See latest RNS on Investegate

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

NewRiver REIT ends year in line with analyst expectations
(Sharecast News) - NewRiver REIT said on Friday that full-year underlying funds from operations and EPRA net tangible assets per share were expected to be in line with analyst consensus, after a year in which it completed the integration of Capital & Regional and strengthened its balance sheet.
Berenberg lowers target price on Unilever
(Sharecast News) - Berenberg lowered its target price on consumer goods giant Unilever from £58.40 to £50.40 on Friday following the group's first quarter sales figures a day earlier.
Canaccord Genuity upgrades Halfords to 'buy'
(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Canaccord Genuity upgraded motoring and cycling products retailer Halfords from 'hold' to 'buy' on Friday following the group's "better-than-expected" second half trading performance.
Rotork backs full-year guidance after 'resilient' Q1
(Sharecast News) - Rotork backed its full-year guidance on Friday as the industrial valve manufacturer hailed a "resilient" first quarter.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.