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Enoch Yiu

Standard Chartered Bank, one of Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks, reported a 16 per cent profit jump for 2025, as strong wealth management growth helped it weather rising bad debt from the city’s commercial real estate slump.
The London-based bank, which generates much of its revenue from Asia, reported an underlying pre-tax profit of US$7.9 billion last year, compared with US$6.8 billion in 2024, according to a stock exchange filing on Tuesday. This matched analysts’ estimate of US$7.9 billion.
Underlying earnings per share stood at US$2.297, and the bank proposed a 49 US cents final dividend, bringing the total for 2025 to 61 US cents. A year earlier, it paid 37 US cents. The bank said it would set aside US$1.5 billion to buy back shares this year, after spending US$1.5 billion on buy-backs last year.
“We have made a good start to the year and continue to benefit from a supportive business environment,” CEO Bill Winters said in a media briefing.
Winters said the bank had seen “robust growth in all major markets” as corporate clients sought its help to diversify supply chains, while wealthy customers in India and mainland China used its international network to invest overseas via Hong Kong and Singapore.
He added that digital assets would be a key area of development, with the bank hoping to be among the first to receive a stablecoin issuer licence in Hong Kong when the Hong Kong Monetary Authority begins granting approvals in March, though the final decision rests with the regulator.
The bank’s shares jumped 3 per cent to close at HK$197.90 on Tuesday after the earnings announcement, while the broader Hang Seng Index fell almost 1.8 per cent.
Benjamin Hung, president of international at Standard Chartered, said Hong Kong's economy and capital markets had performed well in the first seven weeks this year, and he was positive about the whole year outlook.
Hong Kong remains Standard Chartered’s biggest market, with its pre-tax profit in the city jumping 40 per cent to US$2.66 billion, representing 34 per cent of the total.

But Hong Kong’s property slump also meant that the bank had to contend with a higher level of bad debt. Standard Chartered’s bad debt charge increased 21 per cent to US$676 million, which included US$253 million in Hong Kong and a US$78 million exposure to mainland China, covering bad debt in commercial real estate, as well as defaults on credit card and personal loans.
“We continued to de-risk in China and Hong Kong commercial real estate, and have limited exposures to US regional banks and insurance companies,” the lender’s statement said.
However, Winters said the bank had made sufficient provisions to cover the risks, noting that its Hong Kong exposure was largely to high-quality, large developers.
“In addition, we have seen the property markets in Hong Kong become more stable,” he said.
Winters also said the bank benefited from the strong growth of its wealth management business, which expanded 24 per cent to a record US$3.09 billion, compared with US$2.49 billion a year earlier.
Standard Chartered said it added 275,000 new affluent clients in 2025, with net new affluent money under management rising to US$52 billion during the year, bringing the total to US$447 billion as at the end of 2025.

The bank’s net interest margin, an important measure of profitability, narrowed to 2.03 per cent at the end of December 2025, compared with 2.06 per cent a year earlier.
Net interest income rose 1 per cent to US$11.18 billion in 2025, compared with US$11.09 billion in 2024. Operating income, which is equivalent to revenue in US accounting terms, rose 6 per cent to US$20.89 billion in 2025, from US$19.7 billion a year earlier based on constant currency exchange rates.
The lender’s digital banking business continued to report losses.
SC Ventures’ underlying pre-tax loss stood at US$167 million in 2025, narrowing from a loss of US$385 million in 2024. The segment includes its majority-owned virtual banks Mox in Hong Kong and Trust in Singapore.
For the fourth quarter alone, Standard Chartered’s underlying pre-tax profit rose 20 per cent to US$1.2 billion, from US$1 billion a year earlier.
Maria Ramos, group chairwoman, said in a Hong Kong media briefing that the bank had achieved its three-year growth target a year ahead of the original deadline at the end of this year. The bank thus would hold a new strategy planning day in Hong Kong in May, she added.
“Hong Kong is a critical market for Standard Chartered, so it is a natural choice for us to hold the strategy day here,” she said.


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Banking & finance

Standard Chartered’s 2025 profit jumps 16% buoyed by robust wealth management growth

Standard Chartered Bank is one of Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks. Photo: Nathan Tsui

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters. Photo: Jonathan Wong

(L-R) Standard Chartered’s Gaurav Bagga, chief financial officer for Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia; Judy Hsu, CEO of wealth and retail banking and Asean, South Asia, Greater China and North Asia; Maria Ramos, group chairwoman; Benjamin Hung, president, international; and Mary Huen, CEO for Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia, speak to media representatives at the bank’s headquarters in Central on February 24, 2026. Photo: Sun Yeung

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The headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC are seen in Central on March 23, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee

Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, speaks at an event on January 22, 2025. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Bank of China (Hong Kong)‘s earnings are likely to come under pressure from exposure to China’s commercial real estate. Photo: SCMP

Bank of East Asia’s exposure to China’s commercial real estate stood at HK$29 billion last year. Photo: May Tse

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The London-based bank’s underlying pre-tax profit stood at US$7.9 billion last year, versus a gain of US$6.8 billion in 2024


The London-based bank’s underlying pre-tax profit stood at US$7.9 billion last year, versus a gain of US$6.8 billion in 2024.


Standard Chartered’s 2025 profit jumps 16% buoyed by robust wealth management growth

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The London-based bank’s underlying pre-tax profit stood at US$7.9 billion last year, versus a gain of US$6.8 billion in 2024

The London-based bank’s underlying pre-tax profit stood at US$7.9 billion last year, versus a gain of US$6.8 billion in 2024