Third Time Lucky: Barclays Appoints New CEO

James Staley has been named new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Barclays. He will take up office from December 1, 2015. The J. P. Morgan investment banking veteran is currently managing partner at BlueMountain Capital, a private hedge fund.

At Barclays, Staley will replace Anthony Jenkins. Jenkins was removed from the CEO office this summer, for what apparently was deemed a failure by the board of the British bank, after he attempted to turn the company around in the wake of the Libor Libor Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Read this Term scandal. This had already cost Jenkins’ predecessor, Bob Diamond, his job.

Staley has spent 40 years in the banking and financial services industry, 30 of these at J. P. Morgan- a statement by Barclays reads- heading some of the lender’s main business divisions, including Equities Equities Equities can be characterized as stocks or shares in a company that investors can buy or sell. When you buy a stock, you are in essence buying an equity, becoming a partial owner of shares in a specific company or fund.However, equities do not pay a fixed interest rate, and as such are not considered guaranteed income. As such, equity markets are often associated with risk.When a company issues bonds, it’s taking loans from buyers. When a company offers shares, on the other hand, it’s selling partial ownership in the company.There are many reasons for individuals investing in equities. In the United States for example, equity markets are amongst the largest in terms of transactions, investors, and turnover.Why Invest in Equities?Overall, the appeal of equities the potential for high returns. Most portfolios feature some portion of equity exposure for growth.In terms of investing, younger individuals can afford to take on higher levels of equity exposure, i.e. risk. Consequently, these people have more stocks in their portfolio because of their potential for returns over time. However, as you are planning to retire, equity exposure becomes more of a risk.This why many investors or holders of retirement accounts transition at least part of their investments from stocks to bonds or fixed-income as they get older.Equity holders can also benefit through dividends, which differ notably from capital gains or price differences in stocks you have purchased.Dividends reflect periodic payments made from a company to its shareholders. They’re taxed like long-term capital gains, which vary by country. Equities can be characterized as stocks or shares in a company that investors can buy or sell. When you buy a stock, you are in essence buying an equity, becoming a partial owner of shares in a specific company or fund.However, equities do not pay a fixed interest rate, and as such are not considered guaranteed income. As such, equity markets are often associated with risk.When a company issues bonds, it’s taking loans from buyers. When a company offers shares, on the other hand, it’s selling partial ownership in the company.There are many reasons for individuals investing in equities. In the United States for example, equity markets are amongst the largest in terms of transactions, investors, and turnover.Why Invest in Equities?Overall, the appeal of equities the potential for high returns. Most portfolios feature some portion of equity exposure for growth.In terms of investing, younger individuals can afford to take on higher levels of equity exposure, i.e. risk. Consequently, these people have more stocks in their portfolio because of their potential for returns over time. However, as you are planning to retire, equity exposure becomes more of a risk.This why many investors or holders of retirement accounts transition at least part of their investments from stocks to bonds or fixed-income as they get older.Equity holders can also benefit through dividends, which differ notably from capital gains or price differences in stocks you have purchased.Dividends reflect periodic payments made from a company to its shareholders. They’re taxed like long-term capital gains, which vary by country. Read this Term, Private Banking, and Asset Management. His latest position in the US bank was as head of its Global Investment Bank.

Great expectations

The chairman of the British bank John McFarlane commented that Staley has the “appropriate leader talent and wide-ranging experience” to steer the company in the right direction and make shareholders happier than they have been in the last few years, after the breakout of the Libor manipulation scandal.

Barclays has been saddled with more than $2 billion in fines and settlements relating to the scandal, and regulators continue to keep a close eye on its operations. The bank earlier this year said it will undertake a massive restructuring program that will, according to media reports, cost the jobs of 30,000 or more people. It’s also bent on automating a range of its services to improve its competitiveness.

This latest executive move is part of these restructuring efforts, whose driver is Mr. McFarlane. In the summer, shortly after the firing of Anthony Jenkins, McFarlane told media that the top priority for Barclays was to improve revenues, rather than to focus excessively on cost-cutting.

Commenting on his new appointment, Staley said that his main job will be to improve shareholder returns, in line with McFarlane’s strategy, as well as to strengthen customer trust. He went on to add that Barclays is a franchise with a significant potential across its operations and that this potential needs to be maximized by boosting the bank’s competitive advantages and developing new ones.