HONG KONG/LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered ( SCBFF )

on Tuesday reported its pretax profit rose

5% in the first six months of the year, just ahead of analysts'

estimates and announced its largest share buyback to date.

StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said

statutory pretax profit for the first half reached $3.49

billion. That compared with $3.32 billion a year earlier and the

$3.46 billion average of 15 analyst estimates compiled by the

bank.

The London-headquartered lender unveiled a $1.5 billion

share buyback.