Barclays Sticks to Returns Targets Despite U.K. Uncertainty -- Update
October 25 2019 - 3:21AM
Dow Jones News
By Margot Patrick
Barclays PLC (BARC.LN) said it still aims to meet a key
financial metric next year despite dimmer prospects for U.K.
economic growth.
The bank posted a 292 million pounds ($376.1 million) net loss
in the third quarter, down from last year's GBP1.05 billion net
profit, mainly because of a GBP1.4 billion charge to reimburse
customers for payment protection insurance. U.K. banks are nearing
the end of a yearslong program to reimburse customers who were
wrongfully sold insurance on bank products.
Chief Executive Jes Staley said Barclays is on track to meet a
9% target this year for returns on tangible equity, a
closely-watched measure. He said the bank continues to target a 10%
ROTE for next year but said the outlook is more challenging, "in
particular given the uncertainty around the U.K. economy and the
interest rate environment."
Mr. Staley is trying to improve returns to boost the bank's
share price, which has sunk in his four years as CEO. An activist
investor, Sherborne Investors, wants it to scale back in investment
banking, but Mr. Staley on Friday said its business model combining
U.K. banking, U.S. credit cards and investment banking "allows us
to weather today's macro headwinds."
Revenue rose 17% in the quarter in the corporate-and-investment
bank and costs were flat from a year ago, lifting pretax profit in
the unit to GBP900 million from GBP500 million.
After stripping out the PPI charge and other litigation costs,
Barclays' net profit for the quarter was GBP1.23 billion, up from
GBP1.14 billion in third-quarter 2018.
Write to margot.patrick@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 25, 2019 03:06 ET (07:06 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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