Barclays

Barclays Bank is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in London, England. In addition to investment banking, Barclays is also divided into four core businesses: personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management and investment management.
The origins of Barclays Bank can be traced back to the Goldsmiths Bank business established in London in 1690. James Barclay became a partner in the business in 1736. In 1896, several banks in London and the English provinces, including Goslings Bank, Backhouse's Bank and Gurney's Bank, united as a joint-stock bank under the name Barclays and Co. Over the following decades, Barclays expanded to become a nationwide bank. In 1967, Barclays deployed the world's first cash dispenser. Barclays has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including of London, Provincial and South Western Bank in 1918, British Linen Bank in 1919, Mercantile Credit in 1975, the Woolwich in 2000 and the North American operations of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
Barclays Bank is a major stock on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent stock of the FTSE 100 Index. It is listed second on the New York Stock Exchange.
According to a 2011 paper, in terms of ownership and corporate control over global financial stability and market competition, Barclays is the most powerful multinational company, with Axa and State Street Corporation taking the 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively.