Standard Chartered PLC — Share Issue/Capital Change 2006

Oct 3, 2006

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited takes no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, makes no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

Results of the Placing of New Ordinary Shares of US$0.50 each by Standard Chartered

Further to the announcement made on 29 September 2006 regarding the placing of Placing Shares in Standard Chartered to finance the acquisition of Hsin Chu International Commercial Bank, the Placing Price has now been determined following the completion of the Bookbuilding Process. Standard Chartered confirms that 48,500,000 Placing Shares have been placed at 1,375 pence per Placing Share.

Further to the announcement made on 29 September 2006 regarding the placing of Placing Shares in Standard Chartered to finance the acquisition of Hsin Chu International Commercial Bank (the "Announcement"), the Placing Price has now been determined following the completion of the Bookbuilding Process on 29 September 2006.

Standard Chartered confirms that 48,500,000 Placing Shares have been placed at 1,375 pence per Placing Share and a net price per Placing Share of 1,357.8125 pence. Based on this price the gross proceeds receivable by Standard Chartered are GBP666.8 million. The Placing Shares being issued represent approximately 3.646 per cent of Standard Chartered's issued ordinary share capital prior to the Placing and 3.527 per cent of Standard Chartered's enlarged issued ordinary share capital immediately after the Placing. The market price of Standard Chartered's ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange at close of business (UK time) on 29 September 2006 was 1,368 pence.

The Placees (comprising more than 6 in number) are professional and institutional investors, independent of and not connected with Standard Chartered and its subsidiaries and their respective associates.

There has been no equity fund raising exercise by the Company in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of this announcement.

Application has been made for, and the Placing is conditional on, admission of the Placing Shares to listing on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to being admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange plc's market for listed securities. Application has been made to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited for the listing of, and permission to deal in, the Placing Shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It is expected that UK Admission will become effective and dealings will commence in the Placing Shares on the London Stock Exchange at 8.00am on 4 October 2006. During any time interval between UK Admission and HKSE Admission, the respective total tradeable shares in the Company will differ by the amount of the Placing Shares, with the Placing Shares not being tradeable in Hong Kong during this interval unless they are validly transferred to the Hong Kong register of Standard Chartered.

By order of the Board

Charles Bennett Brown

Group Company Secretary

Hong Kong, 29 September 2006

As of the date hereof, the Board of Directors of Standard Chartered comprises:

Executive Directors - Mr Bryan Kaye Sanderson, CBE; Mr Evan Mervyn Davies, CBE; Mr Michael Bernard DeNoma; Mr Richard Henry Meddings; Mr Kaikhushru Shiavax Nargolwala; Mr Peter Alexander Sands; and

Independent Non-Executive Directors - Mr Hugh Edward Norton; Sir CK Chow; Mr Rudolph Harold Peter Markham; Ms Ruth Markland; Mr Paul David Skinner; Mr James Frederick Trevor Dundas; Mr Oliver Henry James Stocken; Ms Valerie Frances Gooding, CBE; and Lord Adair Turner.

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Defined terms in this announcement have, unless the context otherwise requires, the same meaning given to them in the Announcement.

This announcement has been issued by Standard Chartered and is the sole responsibility of Standard Chartered.

Morgan Stanley & Co. International Limited, UBS Limited, Goldman Sachs International and JPMorgan Cazenove Limited are each acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the acquisition and the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than Standard Chartered for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients nor for providing advice in relation to the acquisition or the Placing or any other matter referred to in this announcement.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or an invitation to acquire or dispose of any securities or investment advice in any jurisdiction.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful and should not be relied upon in connection with any decision to acquire the Placing Shares or any other Standard Chartered securities. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered, sold or transferred within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. No public offering of the Placing Shares will be made in the United States.

Please also refer to the published version of this announcement in South China Morning Post.

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