SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) -Standard Chartered lifted its near term revenue targets and announced a share buyback on Thursday, signs of growing confidence as a recovery in pandemic-hit markets and rising interest rates helped the bank double full year profit.

Standard Chartered's pre-tax profit doubled from a year earlier, but the profit came below market forecasts on Thursday, as the emerging markets-focused lender gained from a recovery in pandemic-hit markets. Pretax profit for the bank, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, surged to $3.3 billion from $1.6 billion a year earlier. This compared with the $3.8 billion average estimate of 16 analysts as compiled by the lender.

More than two-thirds of Japanese firms don't plan to raise base salaries at this year's labour talks, a Reuters poll showed, with pay increases more likely to come from one-time bonuses that may not kickstart household spending.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan ran its biggest trade deficit in a single month in eight years in January as high energy costs swelled imports and manufacturers struggled with global supply constraints, causing a decline in car shipments.

SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) -Standard Chartered on Thursday reported a doubling in full year pre-tax profit, although below analysts' forecasts, as the emerging markets-focused lender benefited from a recovery in pandemic-hit markets. Statutory pre-tax profit for the bank, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, surged to $3.3 billion in 2021 from $1.6 billion in 2020. That compared with the $3.8 billion average estimate of 16 analysts, as compiled by the lender.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore maintained its forecast for the economy to expand 3-5% this year as the city-state's recovery from the pandemic slump continues, although officials flagged downside risks to global growth and rising inflationary pressures.