Barclays Share Price (LON:BARC) Hits Highest Level In Years as Earnings Season Looms

Barclays shares (LON:BARC) have punched through resistance levels to reach a new high for 2025, trading at 346.75p intraday. This upward momentum arrives as the banking sector braces for the highly anticipated earnings season, injecting further optimism into the market.

Over the past month, Barclays has experienced a consistent climb, moving from approximately 325p to gain 6% on the month. This impressive performance signifies a clear upward trend, particularly noteworthy given the broader economic uncertainties that continue to linger.

The upcoming earnings release is a crucial event for Barclays and the broader banking sector. With the earnings season officially kicking off this week, investors will be closely scrutinizing Barclays' financial performance for insights into its profitability, asset quality, and future outlook when they print towards the end of the month.

Barclays' investment banking arm has continued to perform exceptionally well, capitalizing on market volatility to achieve a 16% increase in income to £3.9 billion in the first quarter of 2025. This robust performance contributed to an 11% year-on-year rise in group income to £7.7 billion, offsetting a 5% increase in operating expenses. The bank reported a pre-tax profit of £2.7 billion for the quarter, again exceeding analyst expectations.

Earlier this month, the bank also executed a share buy-back program, purchasing 4,570,000 of its ordinary shares for cancellation that helps support shareholder value. This move is part of a broader strategy announced earlier in the year, aimed at optimizing the capital structure and aligning with regulatory requirements.

Analysts price targets continue to reflect some perceived upside in the stock, with the consensus of 353.69p representing a mark not seen in more than a decade. Barclays' shares reclaiming multi year highs, and strengthening it's hold on 340p is a win for the bulls, with gains of almost 200% over the past five years and impressive feat.

Eyes now turn to earnings, for clues as to what may be coming next.