A Barclays Bank's customer takes out a bank card in London
A Barclays Bank's customer takes out a bank card in London February 21, 2006. Barclays Plc, Britain's third-biggest bank, said on Tuesday profits jumped 15 percent to a record last year, just beating analysts' forecasts as higher investment banking income offset a big rise in bad debts. Expansion in the bank's international business easily outpaced domestic growth, where it is struggling to turn around the Woolwich mortgage business and lost further market share. REUTERS/Stephen Hird