Standard Chartered Targets 15%+ Returns, Keeps Guidance

In Short

Standard Chartered says it has not changed its guidance.

The bank is seeing more attractive opportunities to deploy its balance sheet, meaning it thinks it can lend or invest more profitably.

CEO Bill Winters also reiterated a shareholder returns mix of organic growth, dividends, and buybacks.

What Happened

Speaking at Bank of America’s Financials CEO Conference on 22 September 2026, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters said the bank’s medium-term strategy remains on track.

Winters said Standard Chartered is still focused on affluent clients across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, plus cross-border banking. Cross-border banking is serving customers who operate in multiple countries, for trade, investing, or moving money.

He said client risk appetite has not changed, but the bank is staying cautious on credit. Credit quality, or how likely borrowers are to repay, remains skewed to investment grade, meaning lower default risk.

Winters added that the bank has exited more mass-market retail credit in several markets for strategic reasons. He said this frees up capital and reduces exposure to worse economic scenarios, while the bank keeps a stronger focus on areas where it believes it has an edge, including affluent credit cards and cross-border services.

In the same session, Winters said Standard Chartered has not changed its guidance and is seeing more attractive opportunities to deploy its balance sheet. He also discussed balancing organic growth, dividends, and buybacks, while targeting returns above 15% in 2028 and around 18% in 2030.

Why It Matters

For African markets where Standard Chartered competes in corporate banking, trade finance, and wealth, “deploying the balance sheet” can translate into more capacity for lending and structured financing. It can also mean more appetite for supporting cross-border flows, including import and export activity.

For investors, keeping guidance steady and pointing to buybacks signals confidence in earnings and capital levels. A buyback is when a company repurchases its own shares to return cash to shareholders.

For founders and operators who bank with Standard Chartered, the emphasis on affluent and cross-border clients suggests product focus will likely stay weighted toward premium banking, treasury services, and international capabilities, rather than broad consumer lending.