Barclays shares dropped as much as 5.7 per cent in trading on the London Stock Exchange by 11am GMT on Thursday following the morning trading call, but they have risen more than 100 per cent over the last year.
Card spending in January increased by 1.9 per cent, which she said was “still lagging” behind the UK’s rate of inflation, but adding: “What we have seen is that nonessential spending is now growing more strongly than essential spending, which we see to be a good sign.
Barclays has unveiled bigger profits after a stronger year for its investment bank, as its boss said he was “deeply apologetic” to customers affected by the recent technology outage.
The UK bank also enjoyed a boost from taking control of Tesco Bank’s savings, loans and credit cards last year.
Income for its investment bank soared 28 per cent over the final quarter of the year amid stronger activity in equity markets and increased deal-making.
