London, Jan 25, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed
- Shares of Standard Chartered closed Friday 1.4% lower, at 18.29 pounds.
- Bank revealed another batch of buybacks, purchasing 541,525 shares on Jan. 22
- Markets are eyeing the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting and StanChart’s earnings on Feb. 24 this week
Standard Chartered shares slipped 1.38% on Friday, finishing at 18.29 pounds, despite the bank continuing its stock buyback programme. (Source: 1 )
London markets were closed Sunday, leaving investors to start the week wondering if buybacks will hold up major UK banks amid swirling geopolitical tensions and shifting rate forecasts.
The bank, which focuses on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, often moves with global risk sentiment as much as UK interest rate expectations. The past two sessions, however, reflected jitters rather than fresh data.
Standard Chartered revealed on Friday that it bought 541,525 ordinary shares on Jan. 22 at a volume-weighted average price of 1,861.20 pence. The volume-weighted average price reflects the different quantities of shares traded at each price point. (Source: 2 )
The bank plans to cancel the shares, reducing the total share count and potentially raising earnings per share down the line. It reported applying roughly $1.26 billion to share buybacks under the program through the previous trading day.
The FTSE 100 ended its three-week winning run on Friday, dragged down by lingering geopolitical concerns that kept investors on edge. Banks were among the biggest drags on the index, according to a Reuters report. (Source: 3 )
The FTSE 350 banks index slipped 0.96% on Friday, underperforming the broader market. (Source: 4 )
Shares in HSBC slipped 1.06%, while NatWest declined 1.04%, and Lloyds edged down 0.25% during the session, according to market data. (Sources: https://www.investing.com/equities/hsbc-holdings-historical-data https://www.investing.com/equities/royal-bank-of-scotland-historical-data 5 )
Standard Chartered’s next major event is its Q4’25 full-year earnings, set for Tuesday, Feb. 24, per its financial calendar. (Source: 6 )
Global interest rates are once again in the spotlight. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to hold its next policy meeting on Jan. 27-28, with a decision expected on Jan. 28. (Source: 7 )
One risk: any new tariff chatter or a surprise change in rate expectations could send investors fleeing to defensives, dragging bank stocks down fast — particularly those with significant emerging-market exposure, where credit concerns can spike suddenly.
Traders are focused on Monday’s open in London to see if Friday’s bank-driven drop carries over. The Fed’s meeting on Jan. 28 will be crucial, along with any shifts in guidance before Standard Chartered reports on Feb. 24.
