Barclays Share Price Today, 20 November 2025: BARC Edges Higher Around 402p as Buyback and Budget Jitters Shape Trading

London, 20 November 2025 – Barclays shares (LON: BARC) closed Thursday modestly higher, extending an already powerful run for UK bank stocks while investors weighed ongoing share buybacks, strong recent earnings and looming tax risks from next week’s UK Budget.

According to closing data from Hargreaves Lansdown, Barclays ended the session around 401.8p, with a bid–offer range of 401.65p–401.80p, up roughly 0.5% (2.10p) from Wednesday’s close at 399.60p. ^[1]

Barclays share price today: the key numbers

Based on today’s London Stock Exchange close, the main trading metrics for Barclays were: ^[2]

Closing price (approx.): 402p
Day’s change: +2.10p (+0.53%)
Previous close: 399.60p
Intraday range: 400.45p (low) to 407.22p (high)
Opening price: 405.80p
Estimated volume: about 2.2 million shares
Market capitalisation: ~£55.9bn
Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio: 11.1
Dividend yield (forward): around 2.1%

On a longer view, the stock has been one of the FTSE 100’s standout banking performers:

1‑year performance: roughly +56%
5‑year performance: close to +190%, turning a sustained recovery into a multi‑year rerating. ^[3]

Barclays is now trading not far below its 52‑week high of 430.65p, and well above the year low of 223.75p. ^[4]

Fresh RNS: Barclays steps up share buyback on 20 November

The most directly stock‑relevant corporate news today was another “Transaction in own shares” announcement, confirming Barclays’ ongoing buyback programme. ^[5]

In a Regulatory News Service (RNS) filing dated 20 November 2025, the bank reported that on 19 November it:

Repurchased: 2,754,882 ordinary shares for cancellation
Price range: from 394.7p (low) to 403.3p (high)
Volume‑weighted average price: 399.2911p

After cancelling these shares, Barclays’ issued share capital stands at 13,922,059,547 ordinary shares, with no ordinary shares held in treasury. In total, since the buyback began on 30 July 2025, the bank has bought back 248.6 million sharesat an average price just over 380p. ^[6]

The buyback sits within a broader £500m capital return programme flagged alongside Q3 results and subsequent investor communication, with management signalling confidence in capital strength and earnings resilience. ^[7]

Today’s modest rise in the share price, combined with the RNS, underlines how the buyback is providing a steady layer of technical support around the 400p level.

Sector backdrop: banks in focus ahead of the UK Budget

Although there was no blockbuster, Barclays‑specific earnings announcement today, sentiment towards UK banks is being shaped by several near‑term macro and political storylines:

Budget‑driven tax fearsMarkets are bracing for a high‑stakes UK Budget next week, with speculation that big domestic banks could face higher taxes via a beefed‑up bank levy or surcharge. Articles from City and sector analysts have highlighted that a new levy could crimp near‑term growth, even if long‑term earnings power remains intact. ^[8]Proactive Investors, for example, notes that a higher bank levy would be a “hurdle for growth” but is unlikely to fundamentally derail long‑term earnings for players like Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest, assuming any changes are gradual and well‑telegraphed. ^[9]
Strong read‑across from Nationwide and peersA Reuters report today on Nationwide Building Society’s results showed a 46% jump in first‑half income, underscoring the strong profit environment for UK lenders thanks to higher margins and low default rates. The piece also points to a broadly “upbeat earnings season” for listed banks such as Barclays, which have been able to book robust profits despite sluggish UK growth. ^[10]This broad earnings strength continues to underpin investor appetite for the sector, even as policy risks rise.
Recent volatility in UK growth stocks and banksA new Motley Fool UK article published today on a separate UK growth stock notes that UK banks, including Barclays, “haven’t had the easiest week” amid a wider market wobble. ^[11]Earlier in the week, coverage from TechStock² highlighted that Barclays briefly slipped to around 398p as markets digested cooler UK inflation, ongoing buybacks and news of a new capital security issuance. TechStock²+1Against that backdrop, today’s move back over 400p looks like a tentative stabilisation rather than a decisive breakout.

Strategic and research headlines involving Barclays on 20 November

Beyond the share buyback, several pieces of news and commentary involving Barclays surfaced today which, while not directly changing earnings, help shape investor perception of the franchise:

1. Barclays strategists turn more bullish on the S&P 500

Barclays’ macro strategists have raised their year‑end 2026 target for the S&P 500, implying roughly 11–12% upsidefrom current levels, driven largely by continued strength in mega‑cap tech and AI‑related earnings. ^[12]

The updated forecast, picked up by outlets including Reuters, Finimize and regional financial press, signals that the bank’s research arm remains constructive on global risk assets. While this doesn’t directly move BARC shares, it reinforces Barclays’ profile as a global markets house heavily geared to cross‑border trading and investment‑banking revenues.

2. Alternatives boss downplays UK as a growth market

Citywire today carried comments from Barclays’ alternatives head, who argued that the UK is no longer a core fundraising market for global banks, with more focus now on Asia, the US and the Middle East. ^[13]

The piece, based on a survey of high‑net‑worth investors and private‑markets flows, highlights:

Slower growth in UK client demand for complex alternatives
Increasing importance of international capital pools
The need for UK‑based banks to remain globally diversified

For equity investors, this reinforces the idea that Barclays’ growth story increasingly hinges on its ability to leverage international franchises, rather than relying solely on domestic UK banking.

3. Capital markets and regulatory developments

Elsewhere today:

The Financial Conduct Authority published an Official List notice including new securities issued by Barclays Bank PLC, underlining the group’s ongoing activity in structured notes and wholesale funding markets. ^[14]
Barclays’ own research team released a Q1 2026 global outlook note arguing that AI‑driven investment is now a key driver of global growth, again showcasing the bank’s positioning in high‑value capital‑markets and advisory work. ^[15]

These items don’t fundamentally change today’s valuation, but they contribute to a narrative of an increasingly global, markets‑oriented Barclays.

Fundamentals after a strong Q3 2025

The backdrop to today’s move is a solid Q3 reporting season that has helped propel the share price higher over the last several weeks.

Q3 2025 results: Barclays reported a return on tangible equity (RoTE) of 10.6% for the quarter and 12.3% year‑to‑date, supported by broad‑based income growth across its businesses. ^[16]
Earnings growth: Earnings per share for the period climbed to about 35.1p, up from roughly 29.3p in the prior year, according to Structured Retail Products’ summary of the results. ^[17]
Revenue momentum and buybacks: Coverage of the Q3 earnings call notes an 11% revenue increase and a fresh £500m share buyback, of which the current programme is one part. ^[18]

These numbers help explain why:

Several commentators now describe Barclays as undergoing a “quiet rerating” within the FTSE 100 banking peer group; ^[19]
Long‑term shareholders have seen substantial gains, with one Simply Wall St analysis pointing to a 256% total return over five years for investors who bought in during the post‑pandemic trough. ^[20]

How does Barclays stack up against other UK banks?

Today’s modest gain comes after an extended rally. Recent coverage from Yahoo Finance asked whether anything could “stop” the “rampant” Barclays share price, highlighting that the stock is up almost 60% over the last year and more than 270% over five years by some calculations. ^[21]

Across the sector:

UK banks as a group have been buoyed by higher interest margins, low impairments, and a resilient UK jobs market, leading to bumper profits at institutions like Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and Nationwide. ^[22]
At the same time, investor debate is increasingly centred on how sustainable these earnings are if interest rates fall and if the government opts to raise bank‑specific taxes. ^[23]

So far, Barclays’ diversified mix of UK retail banking, cards, corporate banking and a sizable investment bank has been seen as an advantage, providing multiple levers for earnings even if one area slows.

Key risks and ongoing issues on investors’ radar

While today’s action was relatively calm, several medium‑term issues continue to attract attention:

Regulatory and legal overhangs
- A U.S. SEC “Fair Fund” for Barclays investors covering the 2019–2022 period is now open for claims, reminding markets of past compliance missteps and the potential costs of legacy issues. ^[24]
Bank capital rules and cross‑border regulation
- DBRS Morningstar today highlighted a virtual event on bank capital rule differences across jurisdictions, with Barclays among the banks closely watched as regulators re‑examine capital and liquidity standards in Europe and the UK. ^[25]
Budget‑related tax moves
- As discussed, the prospect of higher bank levies or surcharges in the Budget could trim future returns on equity, particularly for domestically focused lending units. ^[26]

None of these risks dominated trading today, but they help to explain why valuation multiples, while higher than in 2022–23, still sit below some global peers.

What happens next? Dates and catalysts to watch

For investors tracking Barclays after today’s close, the main upcoming catalysts include:

UK Budget (next week) – clarity on any bank‑specific tax measures or levies will likely influence all UK financials, including Barclays. ^[27]
Q4 2025 results / full‑year update – Barclays is currently scheduled to report Q4 and full‑year numbers around 9 February 2026, according to MarketScreener’s calendar and the bank’s own financial calendar. ^[28]
Ongoing buyback progress – further RNS “transaction in own shares” updates will show how quickly the current buyback pool is being deployed, and at what average price. ^[29]

If earnings momentum and capital returns continue broadly as planned, many analysts expect Barclays to remain a core FTSE 100 banking holding, though returns will hinge heavily on how the Budget and future Bank of England rate decisions unfold.

Quick takeaways on Barclays share price today (20 November 2025)

BARC closed around 402p, up about 0.5% on the day, after trading between roughly 400p and 407p. ^[30]
The bank announced another repurchase of 2.75m shares for cancellation under its ongoing buyback, reinforcing technical support for the stock. ^[31]
Sector sentiment is being shaped by strong bank earnings, Nationwide’s upbeat results, and rising concern about higher bank taxes in the upcoming Budget. ^[32]
Fundamentally, Barclays comes into year‑end on the back of a robust Q3, double‑digit RoTE and upgraded guidance, with the share price up over 50% in the past year. ^[33]

Important note

This article is for information purposes only and is not investment advice. Share prices can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. Anyone considering investing in Barclays or any other security should do their own research and, if appropriate, consult a regulated financial adviser.

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