How to buy Barclays shares | 171.58p

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many leading stocks have suffered significant falls in 2020. Investors looking for promising stock may consider the current Barclays share price to be a good investing opportunity. Barclays Bank PLC (LON: BARC) is one of the UK’s “Big Four” banks and part of the FTSE 100.

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Barclays share price

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Platform	Platform fee	Min. initial deposit	Trading fee estimate
	£0	No minimum	£2.95 £174.53 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	£0	$500	£0.00 £171.58 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	£0	£0.01	£1.77 £173.35 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	£0	£1	£11.95 £183.53 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	£9.99 per month	No minimum	£7.99 £179.57 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	£0	£20	£12.50 £184.08 total	Read review Capital at risk

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Is it a good time to buy Barclays stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

Is Barclays under- or over-valued?

Valuing Barclays stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Barclays's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.

Barclays's P/E ratio

Barclays's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 20x. In other words, Barclays shares trade at around 20x recent earnings.

That's comparable to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the FTSE 250 at the end of September 2019 (19.71).

However, Barclays's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the banks-diversified industry or those of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 32.99
• Metro Bank (MTRO.LSE): 15.04
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 5.21

Barclays's PEG ratio

Barclays's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 0.8507. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Barclays's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

However, it's sensible to consider Barclays's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 0.70
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 3.10

Barclays's environmental, social and governance track record

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Barclays.

When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.

Barclays's total ESG risk score

Total ESG risk: 30.07

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Barclays's overall score of 30.07 (as at 01/01/2019) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 62nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Barclays is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

To gain some more context, you can compare Barclays's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 29.76
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 36.47

Barclays's environmental score

Environmental score: 0.02/100

Barclays's environmental score of 0.02 puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Barclays is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Barclays's social score

Social score: 14.24/100

Barclays's social score of 14.24 puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Barclays is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Barclays's governance score

Governance score: 14.85/100

Barclays's governance score puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Barclays is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Barclays's controversy score

Controversy score: 4/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, Barclays scored a 4 out of 5 for controversy – the second-lowest score possible, reflecting that Barclays has a damaged public profile.

Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 3
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 3

Barclays share dividends

Dividend payout ratio: 1075.27% of net profits

Recently Barclays has paid out, on average, around 1075.27% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 0.63% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Barclays shareholders could enjoy a 0.63% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Barclays's case, that would currently equate to about 0.01p per share.

Barclays's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 25 February 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").

Barclays's dividend payout ratio is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
• Metro Bank (MTRO.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)

Have Barclays's shares ever split?

Barclays's shares were split on a 4:1 basis on 29 April 2002. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 4 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Barclays shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 75% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Barclays shares which in turn could have impacted Barclays's share price.

Barclays share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, Barclays's shares have ranged in value from as little as 72.5962p up to 165.8p. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (LSE average) beta is 1, while Barclays's is 1.3723. This would suggest that Barclays's shares are more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).

To put Barclays's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.

• Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.LSE): 1.3378
• Metro Bank (MTRO.LSE): 2.6921
• Banco Santander S-A (BNC.LSE): 1.7399

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Barclays overview

Barclays is a British multinational bank and financial services company, and one of the "Big Four" British banks. It offers a large range of financial products, including personal loans, credit cards, and bank accounts, as well as mortgages and share dealing.

Originally founded in London in 1690, Barclays soon grew to be one the most powerful banks in the UK, and deployed the world's first cash machine (ATM) in 1967. It has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, and a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Today, Barclays is organised into two separate divisions - Corporate, Investment Banking, Wealth and Investment Management, and Retail and Business Banking, with branches in more than 50 countries.

Frequently asked questions

• Where can I buy Barclays Bank (BARC) shares?

  You can buy Barclays (BARC) shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BARC) in the UK, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BARC) in the US. Anyone that has a trading account with a broker or trading platform that offers access to the UK or US stock markets can buy and sell Barclays shares.

• What affects the Barclays (LON: BARC) share price?

  There are a range of factors affecting the Barclays share price, including the company's financial performance and future prospects, as well as the performance of the banking sector in general. As part of the FTSE 100 Index, the Barclays share price may also follow wider stock market trends.

• Should I buy Barclays shares now?

  The price of Barclays shares dropped during the coronavirus stock market crash, and the BARC share price is now at similar levels to where it was following the 2008 global financial crisis. Investors looking to buy Barclays shares will need to evaluate how the company is likely to fare in the current economic climate. If you believe Barclays is well-positioned to succeed in future, you may believe the current Barclays share price represents a good investment.

• What percentage of Barclays is owned by insiders or institutions?

  Currently 0.392% of Barclays shares are held by insiders and 65.539% by institutions.

• How many people work for Barclays?

  Latest data suggests 83,000 work at Barclays.

• When does the fiscal year end for Barclays?

  Barclays's fiscal year ends in December.

• Where is Barclays based?

  Barclays's address is: 1 Churchill Place, London, United Kingdom, E14 5HP

• What is Barclays's ISIN number?

  Barclays's international securities identification number is: GB0031348658