LONDON, Jan 5, 2026, 08:35 ET — Regular session
- Standard Chartered named two senior hires to expand its Global Chief Investment Office for wealth clients
- A filing showed the bank bought back 544,241 shares on Jan. 2 and plans to cancel them
- Shares were up about 0.7% in early London trade, hovering near the top of their 52-week range
Standard Chartered said it has expanded its Global Chief Investment Office team with two senior appointments as it invests in its affluent banking business. 1
The bank’s London-listed shares were up about 0.7% at 1,857 pence. The stock has been trading near its 52-week high, leaving investors quick to react to any signals on momentum and capital returns. 2
The timing matters because Standard Chartered has been leaning harder on wealth advisory and markets-related fee income, areas investors typically view as steadier than interest-rate driven banking income. Staffing moves in the team that sets investment strategy for wealth clients can feed directly into client engagement and product uptake. 1
In a separate filing, Standard Chartered said it bought back 544,241 shares on Jan. 2 under its ongoing programme, paying a volume-weighted average 1,847.37 pence per share. A share buyback is when a company repurchases its own shares, often to reduce the share count and lift earnings per share. 3
The bank said Sundeep Gantori joined as Chief Investment Officer for equities, based in Singapore, after roles at UBS where he covered global technology and an AI-focused portfolio. 1
It also hired Jonathan Liang as Chief Investment Officer for fixed income and FX, based in Hong Kong, following a career in investment roles including at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Both appointments report to Steve Brice, the bank’s Global Chief Investment Officer. 1
“The Chief Investment Office is core to our Wealth Solutions business,” Brice said in the statement. 1
For traders, the near-term question is whether Standard Chartered can push decisively through the top of its recent range around 1,860.5 pence. A slip back toward the 1,844 pence prior close would put the latest breakout attempt under scrutiny. 2
The next big checkpoint is the bank’s full-year results, scheduled for Feb. 24. Investors will be listening for guidance on wealth-led growth, cost discipline and how much excess capital management is willing to return. 4
Still, the hires are unlikely to change near-term earnings on their own, and client activity can cool quickly if markets turn volatile. Any bump in credit losses in its core emerging-market footprint, or fresh regulatory and legal pressure, would also test the rally in the shares.
Standard Chartered reports full-year results on Feb. 24, the next clear catalyst on the calendar. 4
