Barclays (LON:BARC) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Barclays PLC (LON:BARC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 495.80 and last traded at GBX 495.10, with a volume of 203317516 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 484.56.

Barclays News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Barclays this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays is reported to be preparing a rival bid, alongside NatWest, for £2bn wealth manager Evelyn — a potential expansion of its UK wealth-management franchise that could boost fee income and scale if terms are attractive. Barclays and NatWest to table rival bids for £2bn wealth manager Evelyn
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays announced a sponsorship/partnership as Official Banking Partner of the Williams F1 team — a branding and corporate‑client visibility play that can support marketing and corporate relationships. Barclays joins Atlassian Williams F1 Team as Official Banking Partner
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays’ research team has been active with coverage and target changes (e.g., upgrades/target changes on NOV, Devon Energy, SanDisk and others). This highlights revenue from research and capital markets activity but has limited direct near‑term impact on Barclays’ bank stock. NOV upgraded at Barclays as new CEO seeks portfolio reposition
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays research nearly doubled its SanDisk price target after separation and an earnings beat — a sign of active equity research but not a direct driver of bank earnings. Barclays Nearly Doubles SanDisk (SNDK) PT to $750 Following Separation, FQ2 2026 Earnings Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Reports note a bank move putting more than 160 jobs at risk — if related to Barclays’ restructuring or cost moves, this could indicate near‑term costs, execution risk or negative headlines. Investors will watch any confirmation and related charge or restructuring guidance. Bank move puts more than 160 jobs at risk

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BARC shares. Shore Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 500 to GBX 570 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 435 to GBX 500 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Barclays from GBX 440 to GBX 475 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Barclays from GBX 455 to GBX 470 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 499.17.

Barclays Stock Down 2.2%

The firm has a market cap of £67.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 467.41 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 411.37.

Barclays (LON:BARC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 16th. The financial services provider reported GBX 24.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 19.54% and a return on equity of 6.97%. Equities analysts forecast that Barclays PLC will post 39.1062802 EPS for the current year.

Barclays Company Profile

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985.