Barclays profits rocket to €4.7bn

Barclays said today that its half-year pre-tax profits soared 44% to £3.9bn (€4.7bn) as a bumper bank reporting season continues apace.

The blue-chip banking giant said profits rose 22% to £3bn (€3.6bn) on an underlying basis in the first six months of 2010, with gains on the value of its own debt stripped out.