Barclays PLC is a British multinational universal bank with headquarters in London, England. It offers a broad range of financial services, including retail banking, corporate banking, investment banking, wealth management, and US consumer banking. Originating from a goldsmith banking business established in 1690, Barclays officially formed in 1896 through the merger of several banks. The company operates across five divisions: UK Consumer Bank, UK Corporate Bank, Private Bank and Wealth Management (PBWM), Investment Bank, and the US Consumer Bank. Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs over 80,000 people.
C.S. Venkatakrishnan is the current Group Chief Executive. Recent news includes Barclays announcing a sponsorship of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team. Barclays reported a 12% increase in profit for 2025 and plans to return £15 billion to shareholders by 2028. Barclays has launched a new share buy-back program of up to £1 billion. It is considered a systemically important bank by the Financial Stability Board and ranks as the fifth-largest bank in Europe by total assets as of 2024. The bank is focusing on becoming "Simpler, Better and More balanced" and aims to improve customer service and deliver higher quality income growth.