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Barclays quarterly profit jumps on rising rates

Profit after tax rose to £1.8 billion compared with the first three months of 2022, Barclays said in a results statement

Barclays quarterly profit jumps on rising rates

British bank Barclays said on Thursday (27) that its net profit jumped 27 per cent in the first quarter, with the lender boosted by rising interest rates.

"This is a strong first quarter," chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan said.

Profit after tax rose to £1.8 billion compared with the first three months of 2022, Barclays said in a results statement.

Barclays was "supported by higher interest rates and the continued investment in our transformation into a next-generation, digitised consumer bank", it said.

The Bank of England and its global counterparts have ramped up interest rates to tackle sky-high inflation.

Britain is enduring a cost-of-living crisis, with annual inflation holding stubbornly above 10 per cent.

Retail banks in turn have raised their own interest rates on loans, including mortgages, further fuelling the squeeze on living costs.

Barclays' first-quarter revenue rallied 11 per cent to £7.2 billion.

Venkatakrishnan said in the earnings release: “The momentum across the group allows us to maintain a robust capital position, deliver attractive returns to shareholders, and support our customers and clients through an uncertain economic environment."

Barclays said its diversified income streams "continue to position the group well for the current economic and market environment".

(AFP)

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  • UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
  • Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
  • Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.

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Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.

Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.

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