Title

Earning Preview: STANCHART revenue this quarter is expected to increase by 8.60%, and institutional views are bullish

Abstract

Standard Chartered PLC will announce its quarterly results post-Market on February 24, 2026, with investors watching revenue, margins, and per-share earnings against management’s execution on buybacks and balance-sheet discipline.

Market Forecast

Based on the latest available projections, Standard Chartered PLC is expected to deliver RMB 4.95 billion in revenue for the current quarter, implying year-over-year growth of 8.60%. The company’s adjusted EPS estimate stands at 0.39, implying an anticipated 32.48% year-over-year increase. Forecast data for gross profit margin and net profit margin is not available. Within the operating mix, revenue is projected to be anchored by the corporate and institutional franchise, with non-interest income and fees expected to support the top line alongside stable net interest dynamics. The business with the greatest incremental potential this quarter remains Corporate & Investment Banking, which produced RMB 6.58 billion of revenue in the last reported period and will likely benefit from transaction banking flows and market-related activity given the recent client engagement and pipeline visibility.

Last Quarter Review

In the previous quarter, Standard Chartered PLC reported revenue of RMB 5.11 billion, a net profit attributable to the parent company of RMB 1.30 billion, a net profit margin of 26.45%, and adjusted EPS of 0.51, representing a 31.01% year-over-year increase; gross margin was not disclosed by the dataset and could not be verified from the tool output. Quarterly net profit declined 24.37% quarter-on-quarter, reflecting a tougher sequential comparison and a less favorable revenue-cost-impairment mix; nevertheless, adjusted EPS outpaced revenue growth on a year-over-year basis, indicating sustained operating leverage. From a segment perspective, Corporate & Investment Banking delivered RMB 6.58 billion in revenue, remaining the core contributor; Ventures added RMB 0.32 billion, while central and other items weighed on the aggregate.

Current Quarter Outlook (with major analytical insights)

Main business: Core client franchise across corporate and financial institutions

The company’s core franchise revenue this quarter will likely be shaped by the balance between net interest income and fee-based drivers such as transaction banking, markets, and corporate finance. With policy rates broadly stable into early 2026, net interest margins may not expand meaningfully quarter-on-quarter, placing more importance on volume growth and deposit mix optimization to sustain net interest income. On the fee side, client hedging, cash management, and trade corridors should continue to be the bedrock for recurring revenues, with episodic contributions from capital markets and advisory based on deal timing. Operating cost discipline remains a lever for earnings resilience. Management’s recent track record shows the ability to keep underlying expenses aligned to income growth over multi-quarter horizons, and that discipline will be under scrutiny again as the bank pursues revenue gains without sacrificing efficiency. Credit impairment is another variable to watch: benign asset-quality trends would preserve the current earnings trajectory, while any uptick in expected credit losses could absorb part of the revenue growth. The revenue estimate of RMB 4.95 billion and the adjusted EPS estimate of 0.39 imply the market expects incremental operating leverage even without margin expansion. Delivery against these expectations would hinge on maintaining stable funding costs, driving higher-quality fee income, and managing risk costs within normalized ranges.

Most promising business: Corporate & Investment Banking

Corporate & Investment Banking remains the company’s most promising near-term engine, evidenced by last quarter’s RMB 6.58 billion revenue contribution and the breadth of services that tie clients into multi-product relationships. Transaction banking and cash management typically provide resilient fee streams, supporting visibility across quarters; when combined with market solutions for hedging and risk management, this creates diversified revenue that is less dependent on any single rate or volume driver. The current quarter’s outcome will depend in part on client activity levels in cash, trade, and FX, as well as the closure of corporate finance mandates. Market-related income can be sensitive to volatility and client hedging demand. Should client activity hold steady or improve, the division’s non-interest revenue could offset any plateauing in net interest income. Conversely, a lull in trading or deal activity would place more pressure on the core transaction banking and lending businesses to carry growth. Given its scale and scope, Corporate & Investment Banking also provides operating leverage opportunities when volumes expand. This means modest growth in client flows can translate into a proportionally larger impact on earnings, provided cost control stays tight and risk-weighted assets are deployed efficiently. The segment will likely be the focal point for investors assessing whether revenue quality is improving and if earnings can compound without undue balance-sheet stretch.

Factors most impacting the stock this quarter

Per-share metrics and capital return are likely to be primary stock drivers. The company has been actively repurchasing stock in early February 2026, and continued buyback execution would support EPS accretion and tangible net asset value per share, reinforcing valuation support if earnings land at or above projections. In addition, any update on aggregate capital return plans and pace will influence how investors handicap earnings durability and balance-sheet capacity for growth. Margin and mix will also be in focus. With the revenue estimate pointing to 8.60% year-over-year growth, investors will scrutinize how much of this is driven by net interest income versus fees, and whether the cost-to-income ratio improves concurrently. Stable or modestly improving net interest margins, complemented by healthy fee growth, would bolster confidence in the EPS trajectory implied by the 0.39 estimate. Credit quality and impairments can swing the narrative. Normalized expected credit losses aligned to historical ranges would underpin earnings stability. Any outliers—whether idiosyncratic exposures or broader macro-related provisions—could reduce operating leverage and temper sentiment, even if headline revenue meets expectations. Finally, disclosures on expenses, remediation progress in controls and compliance, and any updates to management targets will shape the medium-term outlook embedded in the stock.

Analyst Opinions

Across the commentary collected between January 1, 2026 and February 17, 2026, the prevailing stance is bullish, with supportive views centered on ongoing buybacks and the expectation that earnings leverage can be maintained if revenue mix remains balanced; bearish previews were not identified in the defined window, resulting in a bullish-to-bearish ratio of 1:0 in our compilation. Market commentaries in early February noted that the continuation of share repurchases enhances per-share economics, which can cushion valuation if quarterly revenue growth aligns with the estimated 8.60% and adjusted EPS approaches 0.39. The constructive view emphasizes that capital return, coupled with steady fee income from core client activity, should help the company meet or exceed current-quarter expectations even if net interest margins are broadly stable.