London, Feb 25, 2026, 08:58 GMT — Regular session
Barclays (BARC.L) shares rose about 1.2% to around 465.5 pence in early London trade on Wednesday, a day after ending slightly lower. (Investing)
The move tracked a broader bounce in European financials, after bank stocks steadied and the STOXX 600 pushed to fresh highs. HSBC’s upbeat target tweak helped set the tone for the sector. (Reuters)
That follows a rough Tuesday for the group, when banks slid on renewed nerves that newer AI models could hit traditional business lines. “Disruptive technology is about a transfer of skills and produces winners and losers rather than being an outright negative,” said Mohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies. (MarketScreener)
Barclays itself kept the buyback drumbeat going. It bought 4.38 million ordinary shares for cancellation on Feb. 24, paying a volume-weighted average price of 456.3529 pence, the company said — a measure that weights each trade by size. (TradingView)
In a separate regulatory notice, Barclays said it published a base prospectus dated Feb. 24 for its Debt Issuance Programme, approved by Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority. A base prospectus is the framework document banks use to issue bonds when they want to tap markets; it does not, by itself, mean a deal is imminent. (Investegate)
The buyback offers a mechanical bid in the background and, over time, shrinks the share count. The bigger day-to-day swing still tends to come from the rate outlook and risk appetite.
That cuts both ways. If growth slows or trade frictions bite, investors can quickly flip from “rates support earnings” to “credit costs are next”, and bank stocks usually wear that punch first.
The next clear marker is the Bank of England. Governor Andrew Bailey told lawmakers a March rate cut was possible but “a genuinely open question,” and said he needed more evidence before the policy decision on March 19. (Reuters)
