Barclays is a UK-based financial services group, with a large international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. It is engaged primarily in banking, investment banking and investment management. In terms of market capitalisation, Barclays is one of the largest financial services companies in the world.
Barclays has been involved in banking for over 300 years and operates in over 60 countries with more than 118,000 permanent employees. For the year ended 31st December 2005, the Group achieved a pre-tax profit of £5,280 million, up fifteen per cent on 2004. In 2005 Barclays paid approximately £3 billion in taxes. In the six months ended 30th June 2006, Barclays made a pre-tax profit of £3,673 million, up 37% on the same period in 2005.
Its main operations are:
UK Banking -
Provides solutions to Barclays UK retail and business banking customers. Customers are served through a variety of channels comprising: the branch network, cash machines, telephone banking, online banking and relationship managers. It is managed through two business areas, UK Retail Banking and UK Business Banking.
In UK Retail Banking there are 14 million retail customers, including current accounts, savings, mortgages (through the Woolwich brand), and general insurance. Local Business provides banking services to 641,000 customers, UK Premier provides banking, investment products and advice to 293,000 affluent customers.
UK Business Banking provides relationship banking to larger and medium-sized businesses.147,000 customers are served by a network of relationship and industry sector specialist managers.
Barclaycard -
Barclaycard was set up in 1966 and was the UK's first credit card. In the UK, Barclaycard has 11.2 million retail customers, with 5.3 million cards issued internationally. Barclaycard can be used to pay for goods and services in more than 24 million places in over 150 countries and to withdraw cash from one million cash machines and banks worldwide.
Barclaycard also looks after Barclays consumer lending business, mostly branded as Barclayloan, as well as other businesses: FirstPlus, SkyCard,Clydesdale Financial Services, Monument credit card and also manages card operations on behalf of Solution Personal Finance.
Outside the UK, Barclaycard International operates in the United States, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Ireland
and across Africa. In the Nordic region, Barclaycard operates through Entercard, a joint venture with FöreningsSparbanken
(Swedbank). Barclaycard has successfully launched the Manchester United affinity credit card in 11 countries across Asia Pacific,
Africa, Europe and the United States.
International Retail and Commercial Banking -
Provides a range of banking services, including current accounts, savings, investments, mortgages and loans, as well as services to corporate customers across Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, India, Africa and the Middle East. Barclays operates over 800 international branches. It is also responsible for Barclays majority stake in Absa, South Africa’s largest retail bank, with over eight million customers.
Barclays Capital -
Barclays Capital is the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC which has an AA long-term credit rating and a balance sheet of over £986 billion at June 30, 2006. With a distinctive business model, Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients with solutions to their financing and risk management needs.
Barclays Capital employs over 10,000 people and has the global reach and distribution power to meet the needs of issuers and investors worldwide.
In November 2005 Financial News magazine awarded Barclays Capital ‘European Investment Bank of the Year’ in its annual Awards for Excellence.
Barclays Global Investors
Barclays Global Investors is one of the world's largest asset managers and a leading global provider of investment management products and services. It has over 2,800 institutional clients and over US$1,623 billion of assets under management.
It transformed the investment industry by creating the first index strategy in 1971 and the first quantitative active strategy in 1978.
BGI is the global product leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ishares) with over 150 funds for institutions and individuals trading in ten global markets. It has £124billion of ishares under management.
Wealth Management -
Barclays Wealth Management is one of the leading Wealth Managers in the UK. It serves affluent, high net worth personal
and corporate clients worldwide, providing private banking, offshore banking, stockbroking, financial planning and asset management
services.
Businesses include:
• Barclays Financial Planning – one of the largest financial advisers in the UK providing tailored and impartial regulated financial planning advice on life, pensions and investment products. Its 900 advisers offer customers expert advice and access to leading financial providers from across the market.
• Gerrard Investment Management - one of the leading wealth managers in the UK providing bespoke advisory and discretionary investment advice through regional offices across the UK.
• Barclays Stockbrokers - the UK’s largest execution-only retail broker.
• Barclays Private Bank - offers bespoke banking and investment solutions to high net worth individuals.
• Barclays International Personal, Premier and Corporate Banking - providing bespoke and offshore banking solutions
for international business and personal customers.
In the UK, Barclaycard has 11.2 million retail customers, with 3.7 million cards issued internationally. Barclaycard can be used to pay for goods and services in more than 22 million places in over 200 countries and to withdraw cash from over 600,000 cash machines and banks worldwide.
Barclaycard was set up in 1966 and was the UK's first credit card. It is also the UK's leading card services provider on the internet. More than 800,000 customers regularly use Barclaycard's online account services.
Barclaycard also looks after Barclays consumer lending business, mostly branded as Barclayloan, as well as other businesses: FirstPlus, Clydesdale Financial Services and Monument credit cards.
Outside the UK, Barclaycard International operates in the United States, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and across Africa. The acquisition of the US credit card issuer, Juniper Financial Corporation, was completed on 1st December, 2004.
Woolwich was acquired by Barclays in October 2000 to help boost the Group's mortgage business.
It is now part of the Home Finance division of UK Banking but is represented on the high street through its branch network and also through the Barclays Group where Barclays mortgages are Woolwich branded.
Barclays Capital is the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC which has an AA long-term credit rating and a balance sheet of over £924 billion. With a distinctive business model, Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients with solutions to their financing and risk management needs. Barclays Capital has offices in 26 countries, employs over 9,000 people and has the global reach and distribution power to meet the needs of issuers and investors worldwide.
In November 2005 Financial News magazine awarded Barclays Capital ‘European Investment Bank of the Year’ in its annual Awards for Excellence.
Barclays Capital - the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC. Registered in England 1026167. Registered office
1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and a member of the London
Stock Exchange.
Barclays Global Investors is one of the world's largest asset managers and a leading global provider of investment management products and services. It has over 2,700 institutional clients and over £780 billion of assets under management.
It transformed the investment industry by creating the first index strategy in 1971 and the first quantitative active strategy in 1978.
BGI is the global product leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ishares) with over 100 funds for institutions and individuals
trading in ten global markets. It has £84 billion of ishares under management.