Barclays Share Price (LON: BARC) Rises After London Open on Buyback News and Evelyn Bid Talk

Barclays’ share price edged higher after the London market opened on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, as investors digested fresh buyback activity, ongoing speculation about a potential takeover of wealth manager Evelyn Partners, and new data showing UK consumers cutting back on spending.

As of around 08:13 GMT, Barclays PLC (LON: BARC) was trading at about 440.7p, up roughly 0.85% from Monday’s 437.0p close, with early volume just over 650,000 shares and a 12‑month gain of nearly 65%. ^[1]That leaves the stock close to its recent 52‑week high near 444p, and well above its 52‑week low around 224p. ^[2]

Barclays share price after the opening bell

Barclays shares have marched steadily higher into December:

Monday 8 December close: 437.0p, up 0.6% on the day, after trading between roughly 430p and 437p on heavy volume of about 69 million shares. ^[3]
Early trading today (9 December): around 440–441p, up just under 1% from Monday’s close and extending a powerful rally that has lifted the share price about 64–65% over the past year. ^[4]

On a total‑return basis, including dividends, Barclays is up roughly 63% over the 12 months to 1 December 2025, putting it among the top 10 performers in the FTSE 100 this year. TechStock²+1

The broader market backdrop is more muted. The FTSE 100 finished Monday at about 9,645, down 0.2% on the day, and futures and early calls pointed to a flat or slightly firmer open this morning as traders wait for this week’s US Federal Reserve decision and an expected Bank of England rate cut next week. TechStock²+2London South East+2

Fresh share buyback RNS supports the rally

A new “Transaction in Own Shares” announcement on Tuesday is helping keep Barclays’ capital‑return story in focus.

According to the RNS, Barclays bought and cancelled 2,759,279 ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange on 8 December 2025, paying a volume‑weighted average price of about 434.9p (high 436.5p, low 432.1p). After cancelling this batch, the bank’s issued share capital falls to 13,893,447,801 ordinary shares, with no treasury stock held. ^[5]

Since the current buyback programme began on 23 October 2025, Barclays has repurchased 19,823,974 shares at an average price of roughly 433.8p. ^[6] TipRanks notes that this activity is part of a strategy to enhance shareholder value, and its AI “Spark” model currently tags the stock as an “Outperform” with a positive technical and fundamental profile. ^[7]

This buyback sits on top of the £500m share repurchase announced with third‑quarter results in October, when Barclays also signalled an intention to move toward more regular, quarterly buyback announcements. ^[8]

For shareholders, the effect is two‑fold:

Reducing the share count supports earnings per share (EPS) and tangible net asset value per share (TNAV) over time.
Ongoing buybacks, combined with a cash dividend that totalled 8p per share in 2024 (with analysts expecting 9pin the coming year), point to a robust total‑return profile. ^[9]

Evelyn Partners bid talk: building a bigger wealth business

Another key story underpinning Barclays’ share price is the possibility of a bid for Evelyn Partners, one of the UK’s largest wealth managers.

A recent Reuters report, echoed in several market summaries, says Barclays has been exploring a takeover of Evelyn Partners, with private‑equity owners Permira and Warburg Pincus asking potential buyers to submit non‑binding offers by 10 December. The deal could value Evelyn at around £4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. ^[10]

TS2’s “Most Active UK Stocks” wrap highlights Barclays as the second most‑traded UK share by value on Monday, with nearly 69 million shares changing hands and the price closing around 437p, partly on the back of this Evelyn speculation and the ongoing buyback. TechStock²

A successful deal would:

Deepen Barclays’ reach into affluent and high‑net‑worth wealth management in the UK.
Increase fee‑based, less capital‑intensive revenue, balancing more cyclical investment‑bank income.
Create integration and execution risks if synergies prove slower or harder to realise than expected.

Investors are watching for any confirmation of a formal bid and for guidance on how aggressively Barclays would fund a transaction while still maintaining buybacks and its capital‑ratio targets.

Consumer‑spending data flashes a warning light

Today’s macro headline that directly involves Barclays is its own card‑spending report.

Data from the bank’s payments network show UK consumer card spending fell 1.1% year‑on‑year in November 2025, the sharpest drop since February 2021. ^[11] Despite a busy Black Friday, the month as a whole was weak:

Non‑food retail spending grew by only around 0.1%, while food sales rose about 3% but still lagged inflation (3.6% in October). ^[12]
Spending at pubs and bars fell, particularly among younger adults, while travel (up c.10–11%) and streaming services were relative bright spots. ^[13]

The British Retail Consortium reported retail sales growth of just 1.4% in November, the weakest in six months and again below typical inflation rates. ^[14]

For Barclays shareholders, this matters because a softer consumer backdrop:

Can lead to slower loan growth in the short term; and
Potentially higher arrears and impairments further out if household finances remain under pressure.

Barclays’ economists already characterise 2025 as a year of economic slowdown, and today’s spending data reinforces that more cautious narrative. TechStock²+1

Fundamentals: Q3 2025 results and stress‑test resilience

Under the surface, Barclays’ balance sheet and earnings profile remain central to how the market prices the stock.

Third‑quarter 2025 results

In late October, Barclays reported:

Income of about £7.2bn, up around 9–11% year‑on‑year, driven by growth in UK consumer and corporate banking and resilient markets income. ^[15]
Pre‑tax profit of roughly £2.1bn, down 7% year‑on‑year after a £235m provision for a UK motor‑finance mis‑selling issue and a £110m charge tied to the collapse of US lender Tricolor. ^[16]
A return on tangible equity (RoTE) of 10.6% in Q3 and 12.3% year‑to‑date, plus an upgraded 2025 RoTE target to “>11%” and reaffirmed 2026 target of “>12%”. ^[17]

EPS for the first nine months of 2025 totals about 35.1p, with Q3 EPS beating analyst expectations, according to the company and external earnings summaries. ^[18]

Bank of England 2025 stress test

Barclays also performed strongly in the Bank of England’s 2025 capital stress test:

The bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio stood at 14.1% at Q3 2025.
Under the BoE’s adverse scenario, the minimum stressed CET1 ratio after management actions was 9.3%, well above the 7.2% minimum requirement. ^[19]
Management reiterated a CET1 target range of 13–14%, signalling confidence in the bank’s capital generation. ^[20]

Taken together, these results and stress‑test outcomes help explain why Barclays feels comfortable running sizeable buybacks while still considering acquisitions such as Evelyn Partners.

How Barclays compares to the FTSE 100 and UK bank peers

Barclays is part of a broad 2025 resurgence in UK banking stocks:

City A.M. calculates that the “Big Four” – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest – added over £115bn of market value this year, helping drive the FTSE 100 to near‑record levels. ^[21]
The FTSE 350 Banks index is up close to 50% year‑to‑date, compared with about 17–20% for the wider FTSE 100. ^[22]
Within that, Barclays has surged about 65%, slightly behind Lloyds but still ahead of many global tech names that dominated headlines. ^[23]

Analysts quoted in City A.M. describe UK bank valuations as “elevated, but not stretched”, emphasising that the key question now is whether lenders can sustain high levels of capital return without compromising balance‑sheet quality as rates start to fall. ^[24]

With a one‑year beta near 2.0, Barclays remains more volatile than the broader market, but that is part of the appeal for traders looking for liquid exposure to UK macro themes. ^[25]

Latest analyst ratings, targets and forecasts

Despite the strong run, most brokers remain positive on Barclays share price prospects:

MarketBeat consensus:
- Rating: Moderate Buy based on six analysts – 5 Buy, 1 Hold, 0 Sell.
- Average 12‑month price target: 445.83p, with a high of 500p and low of 380p, implying around 2% upside from Monday’s 437p close. ^[26]
- Recent moves include JPMorgan reiterating “Overweight” with a 500p target, Royal Bank of Canada lifting its target from 435p to 500p, and Jefferies raising its target to 470p while keeping a Buy rating. ^[27]
Investors Chronicle / LSEG data:
- Survey of 14 analysts shows a median target of 465p, with high 525p and low 350p, pointing to around 6–7% upside from the last closing price of 437p at the time of compilation. ^[28]
- The latest recommendation breakdown shows 3 Buy, 12 Outperform and 3 Hold ratings, with no Sells or Strong Sells. ^[29]
TipRanks forecast:
- TipRanks’ consensus (which overlaps with but is not identical to MarketBeat’s) puts the average 12‑month target around 479p, implying roughly 10% upside from current levels, and also categorises the stock as a Moderate Buy. ^[30]
Short‑term technical model (StockInvest):
- Labels Barclays as a “buy candidate” since late November.
- Notes that the price sits in the upper part of a wide, rising trend and that both short‑ and long‑term moving averages are providing support around 434p and 411p.
- Projects that, given the current trend, the share price could rise about 15.5% over the next three months, with a 90% probability of trading between roughly 451p and 509p at the end of that period. ^[31]

For international investors, Investors Business Daily recently raised the Composite Rating on the New York‑listed ADR (BCS) to 96 out of 99, signalling that Barclays is outperforming most global stocks on earnings, price strength and institutional demand metrics, even though Q3 EPS dipped slightly while revenue grew strongly. ^[32]

Technical picture: key levels for traders

From a chart perspective, several levels are in focus after today’s open:

Immediate resistance:
- The stock is testing the 440–444p zone, where recent highs and the 52‑week peak cluster. A convincing break higher could encourage momentum traders to push for new highs above ~444p. ^[33]
Near‑term support:
- StockInvest’s analysis highlights short‑term support around 434p (short moving average) and stronger support near 411p (longer‑term trend line). A drop below these levels would trigger more cautious signals. ^[34]
Trend:
- The share price remains in the upper band of a rising channel, with volume rising on up‑days in recent sessions – a classic positive technical sign. ^[35]

For day‑traders, today’s combination of fresh buyback news, high liquidity and proximity to 52‑week highs makes Barclays a natural vehicle for expressing a view on both UK banks and the broader macro outlook around interest‑rate cuts.

Key risks and catalysts to watch next

Even with early gains today, there are several risks and potential catalysts that could move Barclays’ share price in the coming days and months:

UK consumer slowdown
- The November spending data point to fragile household finances. A more prolonged downturn could mean higher credit‑card and loan impairments in 2026.
Regulatory and political risk
- UK banks have already faced motor‑finance compensation charges and a tense debate about potential windfall taxes. City A.M. notes that banks only narrowly escaped a major tax raid in the latest Budget, and analysts warn that politics could quickly swing back toward tougher levies if growth disappoints.
Evelyn Partners deal outcome
- A successful bid could accelerate growth in wealth and asset management, but overpaying or integration missteps would weigh on returns. Conversely, walking away might disappoint investors who see wealth management as a key strategic plank.
Interest‑rate path and private‑credit exposure
- Barclays has around £20bn of private‑credit exposure, mostly in the U.S., which it says is largely insulated from the most troubled names but still under close scrutiny from regulators and investors.
- Markets currently expect a 25bp Fed cut this week and a 25bp BoE cut next week; any surprise on the hawkish side could hit banks and other rate‑sensitive sectors after their big 2025 rally.
Capital‑return policy
- Management’s move to quarterly buyback announcements means the market will scrutinise each update for clues about how profits are being split between buybacks, dividends and potential M&A.

What today’s early move means for Barclays investors

In early trading on 9 December 2025, the Barclays share price is modestly higher, extending an impressive year in which the stock has transformed from a “cheap UK bank” into one of the FTSE 100’s standout performers.

The story driving today’s reaction can be summarised as:

Supportive tailwinds:
- Ongoing buybacks, a strong BoE stress‑test performance, upgraded RoTE guidance, and the potential Evelyn Partners acquisition all point to management confidence and a focus on capital‑efficient growth.
Emerging headwinds:
- Weak consumer‑spending data, lingering issues like motor‑finance provisions, and political risks around bank taxation argue for caution after a 60‑plus‑percent rally.
Valuation and forecasts:
- Most brokers still rate the shares a Buy or Outperform, but the mainstream 12‑month price targets cluster only 2–10% above current levels, suggesting expectations are no longer low. Technical models remain bullish in the short term, but also flag that the stock is trading near the top of its rising trend channel.

For news readers and investors alike, the takeaway this morning is that Barclays remains a high‑beta, high‑liquidity play on UK banking, where capital returns and potential M&A are pulling in one direction, and consumer‑driven macro risks in another.

Important: This article is for news and general information only and does not constitute investment advice. Markets can move quickly and individual circumstances differ, so anyone considering an investment in Barclays PLC or any other security should do their own research or consult a regulated financial adviser.