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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.

Standard Chartered H1 profits beat expectations; $1.3bn share buyback announced

(Sharecast News) - Standard Chartered posted a jump in first-half profit on Thursday, underpinned by solid performances from the wealth and markets segments. In the six months to 30 June, pre-tax profit rose 26% on the same period a year earlier to $4.38bn. This was comfortably ahead of analysts' expectations of $3.83bn.

The bank also announced a $1.3bn share buyback and lifted its interim dividend by 37% to 12.3 cents a share.

Chief executive Bill Winters said: "Our strong first-half performance reflects continued successful execution of our strategy, through our focus on cross-border and affluent banking. We delivered record net new money in the second quarter, alongside double-digit income growth in Wealth Solutions, Global Markets and Global Banking.

"Through our unique network across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, we offer our clients the means to navigate volatile external conditions. We're performing well, while keeping a tight grip on costs, credit risk and capital. As a result, we delivered a 41% increase in earnings per share in the first half and have announced a further buyback of $1.3bn."

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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.

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