Barclays PLC (LSE: BARC) enjoyed a strong session on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, as relief over potential UK bank taxes and ongoing share buybacks helped push the share price higher both in London and via its New York–listed ADR.
Barclays share price today: closing snapshot
In London, Barclays PLC (BARC) closed at about 409.8p, with a buy price around 409.95p and sell price 409.80p. That’s a gain of 9.4p, or roughly 2.35% on the day, compared with Monday’s close near 400.6p. [1]
Key intraday stats for 25 November 2025:
- Opening price: ~409p [2]
- Intraday high: just under 415p (around 414.5p) [3]
- Intraday low: just above 404.5p [4]
- Daily volume: around 34.8 million shares traded on the LSE [5]
- FTSE 100 performance: index finished the day up about 0.8%, with banks among the key drivers. [6]
At this level, Barclays is trading toward the upper half of its 52‑week range of roughly 224p–431p, giving the group a market capitalisation close to £57bn. The stock is valued at about 11x trailing earnings with a forward dividend yield of roughly 2.0%. [7]
On a longer view:
- Over the last 12 months, BARC’s London share price has risen from around 264p (November 2024) to approximately 410p, a gain of about 55%. [8]
- From January 2025 (around 297p) to today’s closing level, the stock is up close to 38% year‑to‑date. [9]
Barclays ADR (BCS) in New York also trades higher
Barclays’ US‑listed American Depositary Receipt, BCS on the NYSE, mirrored the positive tone:
- Around early afternoon in New York, BCS was trading near $21.7, up roughly 2.6% from Monday’s close of $21.12. [10]
- Recent data show a 52‑week range of about $12.14–$22.64 for the ADR. [11]
- Over the past year, BCS has delivered a gain of more than 60% for US investors. [12]
The ADR’s move broadly tracks the percentage rise seen in London, reflecting the same underlying drivers: UK policy expectations, capital returns, and improving profit trends.
Why Barclays shares are rising on 25 November 2025
1. Budget tax reprieve speculation boosts UK bank stocks
The single biggest storyline behind today’s move is growing confidence that the UK government will not hike taxes on banks in tomorrow’s Autumn Budget.
Reports that the Treasury has asked major lenders to prepare positive statements on the Budget have been interpreted as a sign that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is likely to spare the sector from an additional bank levy. [13]
- The Guardian and other outlets reported that shares in large high‑street banks, including Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest, jumped more than 2% early in the session as investors priced in a potential “tax raid” U‑turn. [14]
- A lunchtime market update from Reuters and other services highlighted that the banking sector was one of the main supports for the FTSE 100, as traders positioned ahead of the Budget. [15]
For Barclays, the prospect of avoiding extra taxation is especially significant after a year of strong profit growth and a strategic emphasis on returning more capital to shareholders. Avoiding a higher bank levy preserves earnings power and leaves more flexibility for dividends and buybacks in 2026.
2. Ongoing share buyback continues to tighten the share count
Barclays is also in the middle of a multi‑month share buyback programme, which is helping support the share price on days like today.
A fresh regulatory filing on 25 November confirmed that the bank purchased 4,002,590 ordinary shares for cancellation on 24 November 2025, at prices between about 397.35p and 401.70p, with an average of roughly 399.74pper share. [16]
Key details from the buyback disclosures:
- The buyback was launched on 30 July 2025.
- Since then, Barclays has repurchased roughly 259.4 million shares at a volume‑weighted average price of about 381.25p. [17]
- After these cancellations, the group’s issued share capital stands at around 13.9 billion ordinary shares, with no treasury shares held. [18]
That means the bank has already bought back and cancelled just under 2% of its pre‑programme share count, mechanically lifting earnings per share and often providing a “floor” under the stock when markets wobble.
Today’s bounce above 409p comes only slightly above the average price paid across the programme so far, suggesting management still sees value near current levels.
3. Positive noise on cross‑border deal pipelines in Africa and Asia
Beyond UK tax politics, investors also had fresh fundamental news to digest.
In an interview published today, the head of Barclays’ South African unit said the bank is seeing a strong pipeline of cross‑border deals across Africa and Asia, including flows from the Middle East, India and Singapore into the continent. [19]
The article highlighted:
- A pick‑up in investment and private‑banking activity in Africa as key economies show signs of recovery.
- Recent mandates such as an investment by the Qatar Investment Authority into Ivanhoe Mines, with Barclays acting as adviser. [20]
While this story is more medium‑term in nature, it reinforces the narrative that Barclays’ investment bank and wealth operations outside the UK are contributing to growth, which supports today’s optimistic tone around the stock.
4. Regulatory disclosures and structured product issuance
Several regulatory and capital markets filings involving Barclays also crossed the wires on 25 November 2025:
- A Form 8.5 (EPT/Non‑RI) filing detailed positions held by Barclays Capital Securities in relation to Qualcomm’s acquisition vehicle Aqua Acquisition Sub LLC, listing various swap and option trades. [21]
- Additional Form 8.3 and 8.5 disclosures covered positions in companies such as Cicor Technologies and other takeover‑related situations where Barclays acts as an exempt principal trader. [22]
- A new prospectus supplement (424B2) announced the issuance of Market Linked Securities tied to the Nasdaq‑100 and S&P 500, maturing in 2029, under Barclays Bank PLC’s structured products programme. [23]
These updates are largely administrative and unlikely to drive big swings in the share price on their own, but they illustrate the breadth of Barclays’ capital markets activities and will matter to institutional investors tracking the bank’s risk profile.
5. Political trading headline in the US adds colour, not direction
In the US, one widely circulated tidbit today was a disclosure that Representative Lisa C. McClain sold a small holding of Barclays ADRs from a retirement account at the end of October, with the trade reported in late November. [24]
The same report recapped Barclays’ recent earnings beat, noting:
- Q3 earnings per share of about $0.56 vs. $0.54 expected,
- Revenue of roughly $9.6bn vs. $7.0bn expected,
- A price/earnings ratio near 9–10x on US metrics and a 52‑week range of about $12.14–$22.64. [25]
For the share price today, the congressional trading story is more curiosity than catalyst, but it underscores that Barclays has already delivered strong performance into this rally.
How Barclays is performing versus FTSE 100 and UK bank peers
Today’s 2.35% rise means Barclays outperformed the broader FTSE 100, which ended the day up around 0.8%. [26]
Sector‑wide:
- Newswires from PA, Yahoo Finance and others reported that Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and NatWest were among the biggest risers on the FTSE 100, with each gaining around 2% as traders reassessed the likelihood of a bank‑specific tax increase. [27]
- Separate coverage noted that the banking sector index climbed despite only modest gains across the market overall, showing how sensitive bank valuations are to changes in the perceived tax and regulatory environment. [28]
Compared to other large UK financials such as HSBC and Standard Chartered, Barclays has also been a notable outperformer over the past 12 months, with BARC’s ~55% rise outpacing most domestic peers. [29]
Valuation, fundamentals and analyst sentiment
Today’s move leaves Barclays with a valuation profile that many investors continue to see as undemanding:
- London listing (BARC): around 11x trailing earnings, ~2.0% dividend yield and a share price still a little below its 52‑week high. [30]
- New York ADR (BCS): one data provider shows a one‑year gain of over 60%, with the ADR trading close to the top of its 52‑week range and a trailing dividend yield near 1.5%. [31]
Recent analyst and market commentary includes:
- Research aggregators note that BCS was recently upgraded to “Buy” by CFRA, citing strong profitability and resilient earnings, even after a year of big share price gains. [32]
- Trading ideas on platforms such as TradingView emphasise that Barclays’ strategic update and capital return plans have been key drivers of the stock’s powerful uptrend since early 2025. [33]
At the same time, articles in the UK financial press continue to compare Barclays’ valuation with high‑growth fintechs like Revolut, noting that private‑market valuations there now rival or exceed Barclays’ public market capitalisationafter recent strategic investments by tech giants such as Nvidia. [34]
For many long‑term investors, that comparison reinforces the view that traditional banks may still be valued conservatively relative to their earnings power, even after this year’s rally.
What today’s move means for Barclays investors
For existing and prospective shareholders, today’s action in Barclays PLC shares highlights several key takeaways:
- Policy risk cuts both ways. The prospect of avoiding a new tax has given the stock a powerful short‑term boost, just as talk of extra levies depressed valuations earlier in the year. Political headlines remain an important driver for UK bank shares. [35]
- Capital returns are now central to the story. With more than a quarter‑billion shares already bought back and cancelled since late July, Barclays is actively shrinking its share count, which should support earnings per share and, over time, the dividend stream, assuming profits remain robust. [36]
- Growth isn’t just domestic. The pipeline of cross‑border deals in Africa and Asia, and ongoing investment‑banking activity more broadly, suggest the group’s international businesses are contributing to the investment case, not just the UK retail franchise. [37]
- Valuation remains below pre‑crisis peaks. Even after double‑digit gains this year, BARC is still trading at a discount to many global peers on earnings multiples, and well below the lofty valuations applied to fast‑growing fintech names. [38]
As always, investors should remember that share prices can be volatile around political set‑pieces such as tomorrow’s Budget. A surprise shift in policy, a change in interest‑rate expectations, or a deterioration in credit quality could all affect Barclays’ trajectory from here.
For now, though, 25 November 2025 goes down as another strong day for Barclays PLC, with the share price back above 409p in London and the ADR testing the upper end of its recent range in New York.
References
1. www.hl.co.uk, 2. www.hl.co.uk, 3. www.hl.co.uk, 4. www.hl.co.uk, 5. www.hl.co.uk, 6. www.hl.co.uk, 7. www.hl.co.uk, 8. www.digrin.com, 9. www.digrin.com, 10. markets.financialcontent.com, 11. markets.financialcontent.com, 12. markets.financialcontent.com, 13. www.theguardian.com, 14. www.theguardian.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.investegate.co.uk, 17. www.investegate.co.uk, 18. www.investegate.co.uk, 19. www.bloomberg.com, 20. www.bloomberg.com, 21. www.stockopedia.com, 22. www.tradingview.com, 23. www.stocktitan.net, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.marketbeat.com, 26. www.hl.co.uk, 27. www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk, 28. www.reuters.com, 29. www.digrin.com, 30. www.hl.co.uk, 31. markets.financialcontent.com, 32. finviz.com, 33. www.tradingview.com, 34. citywire.com, 35. www.theguardian.com, 36. www.investegate.co.uk, 37. www.bloomberg.com, 38. www.hl.co.uk
