Barclays reports 17% first-half profit rise to £6.1bn

Barclays reported stronger-than-expected first-half profits on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as its investment banking division capitalized on market volatility and dealmaking activity. The British bank announced a pretax profit of 6.1 billion pounds for the first six months of the year, a 17 percent increase from the 5.2 billion pounds earned in the same period last year. The result exceeded analyst forecasts of approximately 5.9 billion pounds.

The bank also announced a new 1 billion pound share buyback program, surpassing market expectations, and raised its full-year income guidance to 31.5 billion pounds from 31 billion pounds. Despite the positive earnings, Barclays' shares fell more than 4 percent in early London trading, with analysts suggesting the strong performance had been largely anticipated by investors after a significant rally in the stock price over the past year.

The investment bank was a key driver of growth, generating 4 billion pounds in income for the second quarter, ahead of forecasts. Within that division, equities trading revenue surged 45 percent year-over-year, a gain attributed to heightened market volatility, though it trailed the average 69 percent growth...