Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. Company operates in over 60 countries and employs over 78,000 people.

            Red = 25 day moving average.           Green = 200 day moving average.

Barclays has been downgraded to sell from hold at SG Securities, target price cut from 100p to 46p.

I also saw that, but I can't find any others to agree with them. Also I can't find many short selling disclosures to support their stance & the few I have found are only small.
Tuesday should be interesting.

Surprised there hasn't been more discussion on this:
http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200903311609538474P

BARCLAYS PLC
31 March 2009

Response to press comment

Barclays notes recent press comment regarding a possible sale of iShares. As announced on 16 March, Barclays has held discussions with a number of potentially interested parties.

We now have a preferred bidder, CVC Capital Partners. If these negotiations reach a satisfactory conclusion, it would lead to a sale of Barclays iShares business without the attributable securities lending business. Earlier speculation assumed the sale of both iShares and securities lending.

A further announcement will be made in due course.

Given Barclay's strong stance in support of there financial position, a downgrade in share price of some 2/3's is hard to fathom. What value, I wonder do they place on the other banks,whose financial status is much more fragile?

I think these brokers must have lost so much selling at low price, they want to buy them back at lower price they are recommending

Just gone through 200dma from chart above,options expiry today though!

Next stop 300p, I picked them up at 165p after looking at this blog post

http://blog.blueindex.co.uk/2009/03/barclays-harvest/

Am in for the long run now

MoneyAM
Barclays upgraded to buy from hold at HSBC, target price increased to 300p from 110p.

Panmure Gordon have a price target of 40p for BARC, but E.K., though tipping his hat to PG as they got it right last time the banks tanked, prefers a hold strategy. Who knows, but the disparity between the brokers is incredible.

Harry,maybe they forgot the other "0"!
The disparity between these brokers is almost beyond belief.

A bidding war could erupt for Barclays' iShares fund management operation as the bank solicits new offers from private equity and trade bidders before making a decision on whether to sell the business to CVC. Several parties are understood to have lodged expressions of interest. Apax, Bain Capital and BC Partners, the owner of Foxtons, the struggling estate agency chain, could all be interested in the fund manager, the Times reports.

bloomberg says that barclays have a new offer for 3.5 billion for the ishares division

RNS 02.06.09 - Barclays notes the announcement by International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of its intention to dispose of 1,304,835,721 Barclays shares for which its entire holding of Mandatorily Convertible Notes (MCNs) are exchangeable. IPIC continues to hold warrants exercisable into a further 758,437,618 Barclays shares at a price of 197.775 pence per share.

John Varley, Group Chief Executive, Barclays, said:
'In the period since IPIC and the government of Abu Dhabi took a position in Barclays in 2008 through their purchase of MCNs and RCIs we have been able to broaden our strategic and commercial relationship, and we look forward to developing this further going forward.'

H.E. Khadem Al Qubaisi, Managing Director, IPIC, said:
'IPIC has a high regard for Barclays, and great confidence in its management team and ongoing strategy. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi intends to maintain a close commercial and strategic relationship with Barclays in the future. The decision to dispose of some of its interests in Barclays reflects the focus of IPIC's long-term investment strategy on hydrocarbon-related opportunities.'

Never wrong to take a profit..as they say -):

if i could work out the implication of all the above, other than there will be a load of shares to be absorbed, i would hazard a guess at the price to which sp might fall (and short) and/or present a buying opportunity at that juncture

Might argue that those shareholders who claimed they missed out when Barc went to the Middle East rather than Mr Brown now have the chance to boost their holdings. Strange how the price has risen quite sharply last couple of weeks before this announcement. There again, don't think IPIC saw this as a short term issue when they went in...As long term holder I will continue to be bemused by all the goings on, but suspect it will come right in the end.

Toaday's drop seem to be a kneejerk reaction to the RNS concerning IPIC & of course the market is now awash with BARC shares, but I can't find any reference to disclosable short positions & am tempted to buy a few for a bounce.

Have bought already, 3 plus here we come.... again!!

Think you might be being a bit premature, will take weeks to absorb and price will plummet further IMO, I'll jump in if they get near the 2.25 mark (or treble Lloyds price)

Looks like you are correct, nordc. Currently down 5% to 257p, but still worth watching for a bounce.

Everyone seems to be doing very nicely out of this deal!
"FT - The unexpected share sale allowed Sheikh Mansour to book an estimated 1.46bn profit on his 2bn investment in convertible notes in Barclays, made last November as part of the bank's 7.3bn capital increase.

At the time, the fundraising angered existing shareholders because they had not been offered the opportunity to participate in the share issue on the same generous terms.

IPIC is also selling its 1.25bn investment in Barclays capital notes, which pay a 14 per cent dividend, in a process that is expected to be completed today.

The fund said it would hang on to warrants that give it the right to buy 758m Barclays shares at a price of 198p.

Credit Suisse, which conducted the share sale, is expected to earn 80m in fees - about 2 per cent of the value of the stock sold."