London, Jan 12, 2026, 10:00 GMT — Regular session.
- Shares slipped 0.1% in early London trading following the latest buyback update
- Bank announced it repurchased 548,950 shares on Jan. 9 and plans to cancel them
- Investors are also watching for funding cues following its inaugural €1 billion green bond
Shares of Standard Chartered PLC slipped 0.1% to 1,793.5 pence in early London trade on Monday, following the bank’s announcement of additional share buybacks. The stock kicked off at 1,775.5 pence and moved between 1,763.0 and 1,793.5 pence. 1
The emerging-markets lender has pushed closer to its 52-week peak amid investor debate over capital returns versus funding expenses. Its shares have ranged from 872.8 pence to 1,875.5 pence in the last 12 months. Analysts tracked by Investing.com place the average price target near 1,669 pence. On the same day, NatWest and HSBC saw modest declines, the data showed.
Standard Chartered revealed in a Monday filing that it repurchased 548,950 shares on January 9, paying a volume-weighted average price of 1,795.91 pence. The bank plans to cancel these shares, which will reduce the total shares outstanding to 2,259,753,944. Up to the previous business day, the buyback programme had cost around $1.14 billion. 2
The buyback matters because cancellations shrink the share count, boosting per-share metrics even if profits stay flat. Traders keep an eye on the pace, since banks can halt repurchases fast if capital buffers tighten or market conditions shift.
Standard Chartered has entered the green bond arena with a €1 billion issuance targeting renewable energy and green building projects across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Demand outpaced expectations, with an order book topping €3.9 billion. The bank said the funds will also back climate-resilient infrastructure, energy efficiency initiatives, and sustainable water and natural resource projects. 3
Group CFO Diego De Giorgi described the green-only bond format as “an important milestone” in the Jan. 8 statement. Group treasurer Dan Hodge highlighted “orderbooks peaking at over EUR 3.9bn.” 4
For equity investors, the key is the funding angle. A bond priced sharply and a strong order book often indicate solid demand for the bank’s risk — a crucial insight before earnings season, when updates on margins and credit quality usually sway the stock more than routine buyback announcements.
There is a downside risk. Standard Chartered’s presence in emerging markets makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in growth and credit conditions, as well as sudden changes in risk appetite that can push debt spreads wider. Both factors could weigh on earnings and limit the potential for buybacks.
The next key trigger comes with the bank’s full-year results on Feb. 24. Investors will be watching closely for updates on capital return plans and any shifts in funding costs following recent market issuances. 5
