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Standard Chartered profits jump 27 percent


    LONDON (Reuters) - Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered beat expectations with a 27 percent rise in annual profit on Tuesday despite a higher write-down on risky assets, and said it was confident of a strong 2008.

    Standard Chartered, which makes three-quarters of its profits in Asia, reported a 2007 pretax profit of $4.04 billion, up from $3.18 billion in 2006 and ahead of the average forecast of $3.92 billion from a Reuters Estimates poll of analysts.

    It said it had an "excellent" start to 2008, particularly in wholesale banking.

    The bank took a $300 million write-down on its Whistlejacket structured investment vehicle and its asset securitization portfolio due to "financial turmoil." It had previously flagged a $116 million hit for Whistlejacket, which has been forced into receivership.

    (Reporting by Steve Slater)