Standard Chartered’s Africa Crown Threatened by Egypt Loans Boom

Standard Chartered Plc is facing a challenge for the title of Africa’s top loan arranger from a local bank about 1/20th of its size.

While the London-based bank is used to playing catch-up in the second-half -- it’s come from behind to top the table for three years running -- it’s rarely been so far adrift. Egypt’s Banque Misr SAE is the best performer, bookrunning for about $1.6 billion of loans, more than double second-placed Bank of China Ltd., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.