Barclays

Barclays /ˈbɑːkliz/ is a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London. It is a universal bank with operations in retail, wholesale and investment banking, as well as wealth management, mortgage lending and credit cards. It has operations in over 50 countries and territories and has around 48 million customers. As of 31 December 2011 Barclays had total assets of US$2.42 trillion, the seventh-largest of any bank worldwide.

Barclays is organised into four core business: Personal & Corporate (Personal Banking, Corporate Banking, Wealth & Investment Management), Barclaycard, Investment Banking and Africa.

Barclays traces its origins to a goldsmith banking business established in the City of London in 1690. James Barclay became a partner in the business in 1736. In 1896 several banks in London and the English provinces, including Backhouse's Bank and Gurney's Bank, united as a joint-stock bank under the name Barclays and Co. Over the following decades Barclays expanded to become a nationwide bank. In 1967, Barclays deployed the world's first cash dispenser. Barclays has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including of London, Provincial and South Western Bank in 1918, British Linen Bank in 1919, Mercantile Credit in 1975, the Woolwich in 2000 and the North American operations of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Barclays Bank (Kenya)

Barclays Bank Kenya Limited, also known as Barclays Bank of Kenya, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the Central Bank and national banking regulator.

Overview

The bank is a large financial institution in Kenya, with an estimated asset base in excess of US$2.329 billion (KES:200.975 billion), as of March 2014. At that time, Barclays Bank of Kenya was the fifth-largest commercial bank in Kenya, by assets, behind KCB Group, Equity Group Holdings Limited, Cooperative Bank and Standard Chartered Kenya. The institution serves the banking needs of large and small business customers as well as individuals.

History

The bank's history traces from 1916 when the National Bank of South Africa (now First National Bank) opened a branch at Mombasa. In 1925, National Bank of South Africa was merged with the Anglo-Egyptian Bank and the Colonial Bank in 1925 to form Barclays Bank (Dominion, Colonial and Overseas). This brought the Kenyan operations under Barclays Bank.

Barclays Bank (Zambia)

Barclays Bank Zambia Plc, also known as Barclays Bank of Zambia, is a commercial bank in Zambia. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by the Bank of Zambia, the national banking regulator.

Overview

The bank is a large financial institution in Zambia, accounting for 17% of commercial banking assets and about 16% of commercial banking deposits in the country in 2012. At that time, Barclays Bank of Zambia was one of the largest private bank in Zambia, by assets. The institution serves the banking needs of large and small business customers as well as individuals, employing over 1,100 people in Zambia. The bank has widest network of Point of Sale terminals which facilitate the use of debit and credit card transactions in Zambia. The bank has also invested in state of the art electronic banking and mobile banking platforms for its customers.

History

According to its website, Barclays Bank has been present in Zambia since 1918. However, the bank was licensed in its present form in 1974. The bank is a subsidiary of Barclays Bank Plc., an International financial services conglomerate, whose shares of stock are listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol: BARC and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol: BCS.

Barclays Bank (Zimbabwe)

Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe, commonly known as Barclays Bank Zimbabwe (BBZ) is a commercial bank in Zimbabwe. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the national banking regulator.

Overview

The bank is a medium-sized financial services provider in Zimbabwe, serving large corporations, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as individuals. As of December 2013, its total asset base was valued at about US$281.5 million, with shareholders' equity of US$40.5 million. In October 2011, the bank was the fifth-largest commercial bank in Zimbabwe, based on customer deposits, with a 7.1% marketshare.

History

Barclays Bank Zimbabwe was established in 1912, and has operated continuously since. As of December 2011, BBZ employed 1,022 permanent staff, in a commercial banking network of 38 branches in all large urban areas in the country. The banks headquarters are located in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, and the largest city in that country.