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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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5 key reasons from Knight Franks' wealth report on why the UK is losing its billionaires

  • Global ultra-wealthy population jumps over 300 per cent since 2021
  • UK billionaire count drops to 156, biggest fall in 37 years
  • Policy shifts, mobility and weaker investment appeal drive the change

A fresh global wealth snapshot shows just how sharply fortunes are rising. The number of individuals worth at least $30m (£22m) has surged from 162,191 in 2021 to 713,626 now, an increase of more than 300 per cent, according to analysis by Knight Frank. The billionaire population, currently at 3,110, is projected to grow by 25 per cent to 3,915 by 2031.

This rapid expansion is being fuelled largely by technology-led wealth creation. As Liam Bailey of Knight Frank reportedly said in a news report, the ability to scale businesses faster, particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence, is accelerating how quickly large fortunes are built.

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