Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. is considering selling its 18-percent stake, worth 6 billion pounds, in British emerging markets bank Standard Chartered Plc (STAN.L,STAC.L,SCBFF.PK), media reported Tuesday, citing people close to the matter.
The government-owned fund, which earlier this year noted that it was reassessing its portfolio and has recently been increasing its exposure to China, reportedly had been judging buyer interest for its shareholding in recent months. In the past, the fund had looked for a merger partner for the Asian-focused lender.
It was around six years ago that Temasek became the bank's biggest single shareholder after buying out the 11.5 percent stake of the Khoo family.
It is expected that the possible sale could trigger a bid battle for Standard Chartered, which has performed well in recent times, while its competitors struggled amid the ongoing financial crisis. In the first half of the current year, the bank reported 11 percent increase in profit, supported by 9 percent rise in revenue. The lender also backed its forecast for the year, despite a challenging macro-economic environment.
More recently, Standard Chartered's shares were hit after a US regulator accused the bank of hiding $250 billion in illegal dealings with Iran for more than a decade. Following this, Standard Chartered in August agreed to pay a civil penalty of $340 million to the New York State Department of Financial Services.
In London, Standard Chartered shares are currently trading at 1,428.50 pence, down 52 pence or 3.51 percent.
In Hong Kong, shares closed today's trading at HK$182, down HK$5.50 or 2.93 percent.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.