Barclays saw a drop in profits of a third for the first half of the year, with write downs impacting seriously on the bottom line. Barclays Insurance though, a division of the bank, performed very well.
The bank still made profits of GBP2.75 billion despite the write downs and, even though the bank itself was disappointed, industry analysts felt this was better than could have been expected. Other financial institutions have suffered much more dramatic cuts than Barclays, insurance and other sectors helping support the bank.
Looking forwards the Barclays management team are expecting trading conditions to remain testing and are advising the market that it could be some time before they are back to previous levels of profitability. Barclays Insurance, having performed very well, may actually see some parts of it sold to bolster the balance sheet.
The annual survey carried out by the Natwest Bank claims that over 40 percent of the 750,000 undergraduates will be working part time during the forthcoming academic year.
The study, called the Natwest Student Living Index, also concluded that working students will earn approximately GBP2 billion over the year, a substantial sum by anyones calculation. The reality of student life is that they have to take on a part time job in order to have enough money to get by.
The Natwest Bank survey is also helpful for students considering where to study as it highlights the best places money wise. Plymouth is deemed to be the best place to be a student where money is concerned, while Exeter is seen as the most expensive.
Citibank parent Citigroup is understood to be under investigation by the financial regulator of the United States with regard to some potential breaches of securities law.
The issue revolves around the marketing and selling of what are called auction rate securities. These are a type of bond, most commonly used by municipal authorities when looking to generate funds and the question being looked into is whether the actual risks were understated by Citibank.
No comments have been forthcoming from Citibank so far regarding their discussions with the regulators. Instead they have a statement that says they have worked closely with all parties to make everything go smoothly.
