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.

Bob Diamond is selling, that doesn't boost much confidence, I should say.

hlyeo that's fine except you failed to mention that Diamond still has a beneficial interest in over 8 million shares.

Probably Diamond is starting to sell more now.

Also stops being hit possibly?

I think the US banks will take a battering on opening today leading to bigger falls over here.

Brace for another 20-30p drop on Monday as Dow dropped 200 points on Friday.

Hyel, I didn't know you were such an optimist.

Fred, you mean it will go back to 60p??? You are scaring me.


Barclays braced for 1.5bn reforms hit


Barclays could lose at least 1.5 billion of trading revenues if the UK banking group is forced to curtail its activities in the wake of President Obamas far-reaching overhaul of Wall Street risk-taking.

The bank could also be forced into a rapid sale of its private equity unit, Barclays Private Equity (BPE), which generates as much as 350 million in revenues, analysts and investors said.

President Obamas proposals have also prompted renewed calls from some of Barclays leading investors last night for the bank to consider splitting its investment bank, Barclays Capital, from its retail and commercial lending divisions.

They should separate them. There are technical issues to be addressed but these can be overcome, said a Barclays shareholder, who added that investors who wanted to buy Barclays for its high street banking presence should not be exposed to its riskier trading operations.

Shares in Britains third-biggest banking group dropped by more than 4 per cent as investors speculated that of the UKs listed banks, it would be among the hardest hit by the Presidents proposed reforms.

The shares lost 11p to 271p, wiping 1.3 billion off the banks market value as the City fretted about the ownership of the North American assets of Lehman Brothers, the collapsed Wall Street investment bank.

Barclays paid about $1.6 billion to buy Lehman in October 2008 at the height of the international banking crisis. The acquisition transformed the bank into a big operator in securities trading and mergers and acquisitions advisory work in the US.

Analysts at UBS estimated that proprietary trading betting using the banks own money accounted for about 10 per cent of its 14.8 billion in annual revenues from sales and trading.

President Obama has unveiled a radical plan to ban banks from trading for their own profits as opposed to working for their customers. He also proposed preventing American banks from owning hedge funds or private equity businesses unless in their clients interests.

Banks will no longer be allowed to own, invest in or sponsor hedge funds, private equity funds or proprietary trading operations for their own profit unrelated to serving their customers, the President said on Thursday.

Lehman Brothers held a stake of an estimated 11 per cent in GLG, the hedge fund manager, before its collapse and was a big provider of liquidity to alternative investors.

Analysts said that President Obamas reforms were likely to spur the bank to sell BPE as soon as possible. Barclays is understood to have been open to offers from prospective buyers of BPE for some months.

Barclays declined to comment on the potential impact of the Presidents proposals, or on a likely sale of BPE.

why is abama set on destoying the american way of life. having just finished reading the weekend papers it lloks like the far east and china will be the top dogs of the financial world and america the lap dogs surely the yanks will not like that

Tanker, they will have to accept it.

They have overstretched themselves.

Much like the demise of the British Empire, the Roman Empire, the Greeks, the Turks, the Persians, the Spanish, the Portuguese etc etc.... No one is at the top forever. (Plus Obama isn't destroying it - Just trying to bridge the divide between the 'haves' & the 'have nots'.)

Technical bounce up on BARC this morning but wouldn't expect it to hold for long.

Anybody any idea why on cityindex ftse is plus 93 points and on money am only plus 10.....?.

FT +10 also. Bloomberg +11.

I think it's to do with sunday-monday futures, but my it's confusing !.

fred so the USA to become a thrird rate country that would be nice for the likes of the asian countrys and china

Obama is behaving like a petulant child after his recent setback in the Senate,he certainly is making too many enemies and looks like a one term president to us.

The Banks thought they were bullet proof.Obama is reminding themit is his bullit proof vesty they used and abusedthey started the problemthere still is a problemand we need a Dirty Harry all the time these Banks continue to be legal serial KillersI back Obama!.

Tanker, What do you understand by a third rate country?

If is means that, the USA and some of the "Western Countries" have to think before they throw their "weight" around, become less belligerent and consider long term consequences of some of their corrupt actions.


I will be very happy.


There is a proviso which is that I "hope" China and the Asian block do not behave as arrogantly as the West.

Ie. to ignore that arrogance that the "West" has previously shown to them and treated them with.


It would also be wiser not to consider less developed countries to be areas to plunder for our own advancement. Unfortunately, China appears to be already following the examples of USA, Britain and other countries in repeating the same follies.

Maybe I am completely wrong, but the present problem with the Barclays puzzles me in different ways.

If they are going to separate proprietary dealing from non-proprietary banking? and how exactly are they going to devolved the 2 businesses?

I would think it will take at least 2 years to do so.

Secondly, the value of Barclays is the sum of its parts and if there is a selloff or splitting off of one of its parts, or by issue of shares in the part split off.

The share prices would represent the valuation of the two separate businesses.

This is a complete guess, but I wonder if it would be advantageous to present shareholders if the split up occurs and run as smaller more efficient units.

The only fly in the ointment I think, is the cost of the splitting.
I bought some Barclay shares some time ago as a long term hold and will continue to do so.

Prepared to be enlightened!