I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.STANCHART shares rose 4.1% in early UK trading, though remaining below its Hong Kong close. The bank reported H1 2026 pretax profits of USD4.8 billion, up 9% YoY and exceeding expectations, driven by strong corporate banking and wealth solutions performance. A new USD1 billion share buyback was announced. Major brokers including Citi, UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley maintained neutral to positive ratings, citing earnings beats and strong non-interest income.
STANCHART (STAN.L) rose 4.1% in early UK trading on Wednesday (29th) to GBX2,182, equivalent to HKD227.74, about 1.6% below today's Hong Kong closing price of HKD231.4.
STANCHART (02888.HK) +8.600 (+3.860%) Short selling $496.47M; Ratio 38.231% 's pretax profit for 1H26 rose about 9% YoY to about USD4.8 billion, above market expectations. The company said strong performances from its corporate and investment banking and wealth solutions businesses helped offset ongoing credit charges related to conflicts in the Middle East. The bank also announced a new USD1 billion share buyback.
Citi said STANCHART's 2Q26 pretax profit was USD2.3 billion, 13% above market expectations, while revenue also exceeded forecasts by 3%. Citi maintained its "Neutral/High Risk" rating on STANCHART with a TP of HKD223.
UBS said that excluding special items, STANCHART's 2Q26 pretax profit beat market expectations by 12%. It maintained a "Neutral" rating with an H-share TP of HKD228.5.
G Sachs said STANCHART's 2Q26 earnings exceeded market and the broker's expectations by 17% and 11%, respectively, mainly driven by strong non-interest income, lower provisions, slightly better-than-expected net interest income and a more favorable tax rate. The broker raised its FY2026 EPS forecast by 4%, while FY2027-28 forecasts were broadly unchanged. It also raised the 12-month TP from HKD267 to HKD276 and reiterated its "Buy" rating.
M Stanley said STANCHART's 2Q26 pretax profit exceeded market expectations by 13%. It gave STANCHART an "Overweight" rating with a TP of HKD250. (da/u)(HK stocks quote is delayed for at least 15 mins.Short Selling Data as at 2026-07-29 16:25.)