Overview

• Barclays posted a Q2 pre-tax profit of £2.5 billion, topping LSEG forecasts of £2.23 billion as investment banking income rose 10% to £3.3 billion.
• UBS delivered net profit of $2.4 billion, surpassing consensus estimates, with global markets revenues up 25% on volatility driven by President Trump’s tariff measures.
• HSBC’s profit before tax fell 29% to $6.3 billion after it booked a $2.1 billion write-down on its Bank of Communications stake in China.
• Each lender announced major share repurchase plans: Barclays a £1 billion buyback, HSBC a $3 billion programme and UBS confirming its 2025 capital return targets.
• The results highlight CEOs’ strategic overhauls—from Barclays’s three-year turnaround and UBS’s Credit Suisse integration to HSBC’s east-west division restructuring under Georges Elhedery.