HONG KONG/LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered ( SCBFF )

reported on Wednesday that first-half

pretax profit rose 9%, bolstered by surging wealth and global

banking revenue, helping the emerging markets lender offset

ongoing credit charges tied to the Iran war.

StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia

and Africa, said pretax profit for the first six months of this

year reached $4.78 billion. That compared with $4.38 billion a

year earlier and the $4.52 billion average of 16 analyst

estimates compiled by the bank.

The London-headquartered lender booked a $446 million

impairment from geopolitical uncertainty and potential

spillovers from the Middle East conflict. It set aside $190

million as precautionary management overlays in April.

StanChart announced a $1 billion share buyback, along with

an interim dividend of 20.4 cents per share, up from 12 cents

the year before.