Barclays (LON:BARC) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Barclays PLC (LON:BARC)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 533.60 and last traded at GBX 533.05, with a volume of 167576344 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 525.40.

Key Headlines Impacting Barclays

Here are the key news stories impacting Barclays this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays shares moved above the 200-day moving average, a technical signal that can attract momentum buyers and suggest improving market sentiment. Barclays (LON:BARC) Stock Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays also appeared in analyst roundup coverage, reinforcing that the stock still has institutional support and remains on investors’ radar for favorable call activity. Alphabet To Rally Around 39%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays was cited in multiple market stories about former CEO Jes Staley’s testimony and ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The issue is headline risk rather than a direct financial impact, but it can pressure sentiment around the bank. US senator accuses Barclays of ‘failure’ to investigate ex-CEO’s ties to Epstein
• Negative Sentiment: The Epstein-related congressional scrutiny adds reputational uncertainty, which may weigh on Barclays stock if investors worry about distraction, governance concerns, or further negative press. Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley faces US congressional panel over Epstein ties

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BARC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Barclays from GBX 590 to GBX 600 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Barclays from GBX 425 to GBX 450 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Barclays from GBX 570 to GBX 590 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Barclays to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from GBX 550 to GBX 575 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 620 target price on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Barclays has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 545.

Barclays Trading Up 1.4%

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 487.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 458.50. The firm has a market capitalization of £71.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.88.

Barclays (LON:BARC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported GBX 14.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 9.46% and a net margin of 17.81%.The business had revenue of GBX 816.30 billion for the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that Barclays PLC will post 39.1062802 EPS for the current year.

About Barclays

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985.