British bank Barclays posts 2024 pretax profit hike, launches £1 billion share buyback

British bank Barclays on Thursday posted a rise in full-year pre-tax profit that came in just ahead of analyst expectations, while also launching a £1 billion share buyback.Pretax profit rose by 24% to £8.108 billion in 2024, just above analyst expectations of £8.081 billion, according to LSEG. Since last year, Barclays has been implementing a strategic overhaul to whittle down costs by £2 billion by 2026, lift shareholder returns and stabilize financial returns, sharpening its focus on the profitable consu ...