One British bank you can bank on

This article was adapted from crazy to United Kingdom, our sister site across the pond.

More reliable Bank of Britain did what he does best on Wednesday: there is no nasty shocks in listed on the stock exchange of London Standard charteredto update on the market, then all also the good news is tempered with a pinch of realism.

The Bank, which performs the majority of its activities in Asia and emerging markets, said that he enjoyed a solid start in 2011, with growth at double-digit revenue of its consumption and wholesale divisions.

Of the two halves, banking consumers increases the income of Standard Chartered, which is part of the plan and a good strategy if you believe that the wealth generated in emerging countries is set to cascade through his new middle classes.

Shareholders - myself included, can also be reassured to see that the Bank slowed its escalation of costs, for the moment at least. The company spent 2010 exercise membership, and given that he made his case in some of the world's hottest economies, new bankers do not come good markets.

Dear expansion
While Standard Chartered did not give figures on the first quarter of fresh (or anything else, in fact), the Bank said that he was running at the same rate until the end of 2010 and total strength fell. Finance Director Richard Meddings warned in comments, however, that the Bank still in growth mode and it will still look to increase its workforce by about 1,000 through 2011.

Increase spending in the 12 months average of the cost-income ratio of the Standard Chartered - the "jaws of revenue cost" banker speak - is negative on year, even if it says this has decreased compared to 2010 as a whole.

Fundamentally, a bank is that its revenue to grow faster than its costs, so a smaller ratio is better. But Standard Chartered sees good growth opportunities, so it is currently expanding at the cost of the equation to capture more market share.

Finally, what is crucial in these days of panic and toxic asset Bank, Standard Chartered remains highly liquid and "very good" capitalized no remarkable new disability until 2011.

Last count, its capital ratio level was 14%, which is well above peers such as Barclays (NYSE: BCS - News)--11% - and also the new requirements of Basel III.

No funny business
Motto of the Motley Fool "to educate, Amuse, and Enrich", and I am well aware that it is a very dry article on a not-so-thrilling update.

But I would say that stability even for Standard Chartered is amazing in itself. While other banks went belly up, or were bailed out by taxpayers, it obtained through the credit crisis without even cut its dividend.

In part that was reduced to good fortune - then that the United States and some markets European property plunged and unemployment soared, the contentée Standard Chartered markets restlessness in short order.

But geographic distance has not prevented, for example, German banks load U.S. sub-prime mortgage loans. Standard Chartered largely avoided these excesses of the last boom.

Standards fits
Next time, it is perhaps not as lucky - there is a dangerous bubble build anywhere in the world right now, it is certainly in the Asian markets where Standard Chartered is a large part of its business.

If something suspicious lurk in its books? There is no evidence that until now. Some fear that the issue of rights surprise in October would be suggest a nasty revelation. But, as I wrote at the time, I think that the Bank was merely enjoying an exuberant period for its share price.

Indeed, Standard Chartered shares fell by 14% since he announced that the cash call and it is one of the stocks of Bank performing at worst to own in 2011.

More recent results of trade, however, I think that this reflects this huge enthusiasm of the end of 2010, when stock prices of the Bank surpassed its pre-generic-crunch peaks. That is something non-owners of the Lloyds banking Group (NYSE: LYG - News) or Royal bank of scotland (NYSE: RBS - News) can expect to see many years to come.

In any event, this is good news if you want to buy shares. The action of the Standard Chartered price is down 2% while I write this that puts on a P/E of only 13 year, falling to 11 nearer for 2012.

I think it is good value for a bank with his superb record and profits at double-digit growth rates, and as soon as The Motley Fool trading rules allowing, I offer you probably a few others.

Owain Bennallack holds shares in Standard Chartered and Lloyds. We Fools don't hold the same views, but we believe that treat a wide range of ideas makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.