Barclays, the FTSE 100 bank, delivered a return on tangible equity (RoTE) of 11.7% in the third quarter and announced a fresh £500 million share buyback, bringing year-to-date distributions to £2.8 billion.
Profit before tax rose 12% to £2.3 billion in the three months to 30 September 2026, with group income up 3% to £7.4 billion.
For the nine months to September, profit before tax was £8.4 billion, up 15% year-on-year, with a RoTE of 13.8%, putting the bank on track to deliver its full-year target of more than 12%.
Earnings per share rose 18% to 12.3 pence in the quarter and 23% to 43.0 pence year-to-date.
The investment bank delivered equities income up 47% in the quarter, reflecting growth in prime financing and equity derivatives, though fixed income, currencies and commodities (FICC) revenue fell 19% amid lower client activity.
Barclays UK, the retail and business banking arm, generated a RoTE of 21.2% in the quarter, with income up 4% supported by higher structural hedge income.
The UK corporate bank posted a RoTE of 23.5%, with income rising 10% and loan balances growing 14% year-on-year.
Credit impairment charges fell 20% to £503 million in the quarter, with the loan loss rate declining to 43 basis points from 57 basis points a year earlier.
The common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio remained broadly stable at 14.2%, comfortably above the group's 13-14% target range.
Group costs were guided at around £18.5 billion for the full year, with the bank taking £201 million of structural cost actions in the quarter as it continues to reduce technology-related headcount.
Chief executive C.S. Venkatakrishnan said the group had either achieved or was on track to achieve all of its 2026 targets, and expressed confidence in its longer-term goal of delivering a RoTE of more than 14% by 2028.
