LONDON, June 22, 2026, 09:27 BST — Barclays shares traded higher with the lender’s £500 million buyback already 91% executed.
Key takeaways
- Barclays was last at 497.75p, gaining 1.30p or 0.26%, in slow early London trade following news of a new share-cancellation filing.
- Barclays bought 12,353,626 shares last week, cutting its issued share capital to 13.515 billion shares.
- Barclays has used about £455.9 million of its £500 million buyback so far, or 91.2%. That means it has around £44.1 million left in headline capacity.
Barclays PLC (LSE: BARC) traded at 497.75p, rising 1.30p or 0.26% as of 08:45 BST on Monday. The main move traced to a fresh regulatory filing: Barclays bought back another 12.35 million shares for cancellation. The bump in the stock was small, but Barclays has now spent about £455.9 million—or 91.2%—of its £500 million buyback plan based on its latest numbers and averages.
BARC finished Friday at 496.45p, so Monday’s gain took back some ground after shares slipped 0.83% in the last session. The stock opened at 497.00p and moved between 493.55p and 498.85p in early trading. Shares sit about 5.3% up from the June 12 close at 472.85p, but they haven’t broken above the recent high of 505.70p.
J.P. Morgan picked up 2.37 million Barclays shares June 15, 2.37 million June 16, 3.01 million June 17, 2.30 million June 18 and 2.31 million June 19, according to the filing. All of these are set to be cancelled. Barclays has now bought back 101,405,130 shares since starting the programme, paying a volume-weighted average of 449.5595p per share. Barclays is left with 13,515,259,639 shares carrying voting rights.
Barclays has bought a total of 101.405 million shares at an average price of 449.5595p, putting spend at £455.876 million. That leaves headline capacity of about £44.124 million. Using the 497.75p price, the bank could buy around 8.86 million more shares, or just 0.066% of shares on issue. These numbers are before dealing costs and any future price changes.
The programme has cut about 0.745% from the share count it started with. That’s a theoretical bump to earnings per share of about 0.75% if profits hold steady. Barclays shares are now trading roughly 10.7% higher than what the programme paid on average. The market is pricing in more optimism around Barclays’ earnings and capital returns than just the direct boost from buybacks.
Light early gains for STOXX Europe 600, up just 0.05% Monday, as the broad market stayed quiet. Brent crude slid 1.6% and dipped under $80 on word of progress in U.S.-Iran talks and talk of new shipping protection through the Strait of Hormuz. Sterling weakened with jitters over UK politics. “Gilts are likely to remain under selling pressure to start the week,” said Skye Masters, NAB’s head of market research. Barclays traded firm against a messy macro backdrop, with no clear sector driver, according to the bank. Reuters
Interest rates are still helping but the picture is messy. The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% last week on a 7–2 vote, with two committee members pushing for a hike to 4%. That leaves lending yields steady, but Barclays’ deposit pricing, loan appetite, and net interest income will be in sharper focus next time the bank reports. The BoE’s next call is due July 30.
Barclays saw earnings pick up in the latest period. Pretax profit for the first quarter rose 3.3% to £2.81 billion and income was up 5.8% to £8.16 billion. Basic earnings per share gained 8.5% to 14.1p. Return on tangible equity hit 13.5%; the CET1 ratio held at 14.1%. “The breadth and quality of our businesses mean we remain confident in delivering all our financial targets across a range of environments,” said CEO C.S. Venkatakrishnan. Morningstar
Barclays is pushing into the 500p–505.70p supply zone right as its current buyback nears exhaustion. If shares fall through Monday’s 493.55p low and then last Friday’s 491.90p low, the short-term picture gets softer; a move under 479.90p—the June 15 close—would wipe out most of last week’s climb. On the numbers, first-quarter credit losses jumped to £823 million and the motor-finance charge hit £430 million. The bull side is the 14.1% CET1 ratio and fewer shares on the market.
Barclays’ H1 2026 results on July 28 are now set as the next big test. Traders are watching for numbers on net interest income, investment-banking fees, impairments, motor-finance exposure and capital. What comes after the almost finished buyback will be key. With just £44 million of estimated buyback room left, a durable break above 500p looks likely to hang on earnings and the next capital return, not daily J.P. Morgan buying.
Disclaimer: This story is for information only and is not investment advice or a suggestion to buy or sell any security. Markets carry risk. Do your own research or speak to a regulated adviser before making decisions.
