Barclays’ sound move

Talking of dividends, Barclays is making the right noises about restoring the payout levels rudely interrupted amid funding strains two years ago.

It comes on the back of improved profits at the bank in 2017, and a reasonably well received restructuring programme steered by chief executive Jes Staley that aims to focus on the UK and the US and investment banking.

As Barclays sells off businesses, including Africa, the new model certainly has the virtue of clarity and intelligibility even if the bank is not out of the woods on regulatory issues.