London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed.
- Standard Chartered shares climbed 1.5% on Friday, closing at a new 52-week peak in London.
- Investors are digesting new signs of portfolio trimming alongside a robust share buyback program.
- Attention now shifts to whether the buzz around a deal will lead to official filings before the Feb. 24 earnings release.
Standard Chartered shares ended Friday at 1,878.5 pence, gaining 1.5% and hitting a fresh 52-week peak. The stock outperformed a largely unchanged broader market. 1
Standard Chartered is now considering selling its entire Botswana operation, not just its wealth and retail units, the country’s central bank revealed. The sale could take 12 to 15 months, with the regulator set to supervise the handover.
Standard Chartered is exploring options for its credit-card business in India, including a possible sale, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. 2
Stepping aside from deal chatter, the bank continued rolling out product news. On Friday, it revealed that Fujitsu and SC Ventures unveiled a roadmap for Qubitra Technologies, their joint venture focused on quantum tech. Vishal Shete, Qubitra’s CEO, emphasized a drive to “turn quantum innovation into business impact.” 3
Standard Chartered announced Thursday it has teamed up with Barings to roll out an investment-grade collateralised loan obligation (CLO) strategy—a structured credit product backed by corporate loan pools—via the bank’s Variable Capital Company (VCC) platform. Sumeet Bhambri, a wealth executive at Standard Chartered, described it as a way to deliver “institutional-quality strategies” to clients. Barings’ Melissa Ricco highlighted the offering’s potential for “income-oriented exposure across market cycles.” 4
It also announced the completion of an API-based bank guarantee transaction through Komgo’s trade-finance platform, using ICC-Swift standards — API stands for application programming interface, a method for systems to communicate and execute instructions. Komgo’s Nicolas Djelalilan described the standards as a “shift from theory to practice.” Meanwhile, Standard Chartered’s Samuel Mathew highlighted that the bank was among the first to bring these standards to market. 5
Standard Chartered repurchased 549,274 shares on Jan. 15 at a volume-weighted average price of 1,855.74 pence, according to a regulatory filing. The buyback is part of a programme carried out via Goldman Sachs International. The bank confirmed it plans to cancel these shares. 6
Monday’s session opens against a backdrop of record highs in the market. On Friday, London’s FTSE 100 held steady after reaching a new peak the day before. Losses in metal-linked stocks were balanced out by gains in other sectors. 7
One risk for Standard Chartered bulls: the Botswana deal might stall, hit regulatory roadblocks, or fall through entirely. In India, any action would face intense scrutiny over valuation and timing—missteps could unsettle investors who have favored the bank’s “simplify and return cash” approach.
The bank’s Q4 and full-year results drop Tuesday, Feb. 24. Investors want clarity on capital returns and if management connects recent deal rumors to a wider strategy overhaul. 8
