NEWS
27th Oct 2016 Q3 2016 Results Announcement
27th Apr 2016 1st Quarter Results
01st Mar 2016 Barclays plc 2015 Full Year Results (PDF 2.1MB)
29th Oct 2015 Q3 2015 Results Presentation (PDF, 500KB)
29th Oct 2015 Q3 2015 Results Announcement (PDF, 1.1MB)
28th Oct 2015 Barclays appoints James E. Staley as Group Chief Executive
29th Jul 2015 2015 Interim Results
08th Jul 2015 BARCLAYS PLC - Change of Leadership


VIDEO/AUDIO

24th May 2016 Barclays CEO Staley on Performance, Economy, Markets

EVENTS

23rd Feb 2017 Full Year 2016 Results

LINKS

Regulatory News
Investor News
Press Releases
Social Media Channels

Barclays Non-Core: Barclays announces agreement to sell French retail, and wealth and investment management business
12 Dec 2016 07:55


Barclays has today announced that it has signed an agreement with AnaCap Financial Partners for the sale of its French Retail Banking business.

The sale includes the network of 74 retail branches, a life insurance business, wealth and investment management, and brokerage operations. This follows the completion of a mandatory consultation period with our employees’ representatives which began in May. All employees of the French retail, and wealth and investment management business will become part of AnaCap’s portfolio of companies following completion.

This agreement does not include Barclays’ corporate and investment banking businesses in France. Barclays will continue to operate corporate and investment banking in France.

On completion, the transaction is expected to result in a reduction in risk weighted assets of approximately £0.5bn and annualised Non-core costs by £130m. Completion is subject to regulatory approvals, and is currently expected to occur by Q2 2017.

Commenting on the agreement, Jes Staley, Barclays Group Chief Executive, said: “I am pleased that we have reached today’s agreement with AnaCap Financial Partners for the sale of our French retail and wealth and investment management operations. This is another positive step in reducing our Non-Core unit, creating a more focused, simpler Barclays, and thereby releasing the strong performance of our core business. The agreement to sell our French business completes Barclays’ exit from retail banking in continental Europe.

“The business in France is an attractive one, with a strong customer base and proposition, but it is no longer central to our strategy.  I wish the business well under new ownership and success for our dedicated colleagues who will become part of AnaCap’s portfolio of companies following completion.”

AnaCap is a specialist European financial services private equity firm. Its banking investments comprise Aldermore in the UK, MeDirect in Belgium; Mediterranean Bank in Malta; Equa bank in the Czech Republic; and FM Bank in Poland – recently rebranded as Nest Bank. In addition, the acquisition would mark the firm’s second French investment, following the buyout of AssurOne Group, a leading digital insurance broker, in 2014.

In the coming months, Barclays Retail Banking and Wealth in France will keep its customers updated about the transaction, supported by Barclays Bank PLC which is fully committed to servicing customers as normal until completion of the transaction. Barclays Bank PLC will also work to ensure an orderly transition of services and colleagues to AnaCap.

New mobile business lending service to help unlock £34bn economic opportunity for the UK
05 Jan 2017 00:01

•Opportunity to unlock £34.25bn of growth from UK Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by 2021

•This equates to 194,000 jobs, with opportunities concentrated in retail, professional services and manufacturing

•Successful credit applications by small businesses reach highest proportion since records began, but still 30 per cent of SMEs choose not to apply for a loan

•New service on Barclays Mobile Banking app reduces time to secure a loan to under an hour 

As new research uncovers a £34bn economic opportunity waiting to be unlocked from Britain’s SMEs by 2021, Barclays has launched a mobile business lending service capable of providing instant loans to businesses. 
 
Though almost a third of British SMEs are not planning on applying for a loan despite acknowledging it would boost their business, the research shows that 64% of SMEs’ turnover would increase if they successfully secured the right loan, which could generate nearly 200,000 new jobs for Britain over the next four years.
 
In response, Barclays has created mobile loans for businesses, making SME loans and overdrafts instantly available to its client base through the Barclays Mobile Banking app. Barclays is the first UK bank to offer the service, which radically reduces the time taken to get a loan from a matter of weeks to under an hour.
 
The research found that:

•30% of SMEs have decided not to apply for a loan despite thinking it would boost their business.  The figure rises to 39% for small businesses specifically. 
 
•SMEs who have applied for funding expect the lending process to take at least five weeks, whereas for many the funds are now available on their mobile, pre-assessed, so they can access funding within one hour.  

•Removing the myth that banks don’t want to lend by making loans and overdrafts available instantly on smartphones could deliver an economic boost of 106 new jobs per day (+194,000 jobs by 2021) and £34.25bn of economic growth by 2021.

•In terms of the impact of new loans, manufacturing and professional services sectors should expect to benefit from the biggest economic boost by 2021, achieving an additional £1.18 billion and £1.11 billion each year, respectively.

•Business owners in Yorkshire and Humberside are the most concerned, of any region, about getting their applications right when applying for funding in the future.
 
Ian Rand, CEO of Business Banking at Barclays, said: “We recognise that some businesses are cautious about applying for a loan, whilst many more simply do not have the time.
 
“Our new, pre-assessed lending gives customers the ability to see how much they could borrow on their mobile and we can get that money to them more quickly than ever so they can invest in and focus on running their businesses.”
 
Brexit presents new reasons to lend
 
The research also found that one in five SMEs believe Brexit is impacting their current or future funding requirements. Of those, the most common reasons cited were a need to start exporting to new, non-EU markets, Brexit economic uncertainty and a need to replace current employees who are EU citizens. A further one in ten (12 per cent) SMEs did not know whether they would be impacted by Brexit.
 
However, a quarter (24 per cent) of SMEs believe it will be harder to secure a loan in 2017, with Brexit causing economic/political uncertainty and global economic uncertainty cited as the main reasons.
 
Ian Rand continued: “Since the EU Referendum our appetite for lending has not diminished and we continue to lend to an SME in the UK every four minutes. We want to help SMEs be confident in their future business plans, including looking at new opportunities to export. We are particularly determined to reach out to those businesses who believe lending will be more difficult next year to see where we can help.”
 
Tyrone McAndrew is founder of Eco-Sparks Ltd http://ecosparks.co.uk/ a leading electrical and energy saving specialist contractor serving Hampshire and West Sussex. Last week he applied for an extended overdraft with Barclays:
 
“I needed an overdraft because we are looking to expand our business, buy additional advertising and take on a new person. In a trade like ours you sometimes don’t get paid for one or two months which means cash flow is really important, so having the overdraft facility is really helpful for buying materials.
 
“Having made the application I was sent a secure document in my Barclays Mobile Banking app, and confirmed the new overdraft with my e-signature. I then had access to the funds ten minutes later. I’ve always banked with Barclays and they’ve always been really good.”

I hold these, but there appears to me to be one or more flies in the ointment.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/12/23/barclays-chief-preparing-take-stand-against-us-regulators-unduly/

Don't know.

PS

Have a look at AZM and IRV which look promising, IRV fly is :

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5449219

But this maybe already rolled into the price.

I hope so.