Standard Chartered reported a 9% increase in first-half pretax profit, reaching $4.38 billion compared to the same period last year.
The results, released Wednesday, reflect strong performance in the bank’s wealth management and markets divisions, which helped drive growth despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.
Barclays saw a 17% rise in profits, underscoring a broader trend of resilience in the financial sector amid volatile market conditions.
The profit figure fell short of the $4.52 billion average of 16 analyst estimates compiled by the bank, suggesting investors had priced in a more robust recovery.
However, the underlying strength in wealth and markets segments highlights the bank’s strategic pivot toward higher-margin businesses in emerging markets.
This performance comes as other major banks, including Barclays, have also reported solid first-half results, driven by robust trading activity and investment banking fees.
Barclays saw a 17% rise in profits, underscoring a broader trend of resilience in the financial sector amid volatile market conditions.