Which Is a Better Investment, Barclays PLC (ADR) or Swedbank AB (ADR) Stock?

By AAII Staff
August 01, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Banks industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ) compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK; Barclays UK Corporate Bank; Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management; Barclays Investment Bank; and Barclays US Consumer Bank segments. It offers financial services, such as current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages and unsecured lending, such as credit cards and loans retail banking, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services, as well as lending products. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities and issuing of credit cards. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank public limited company and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985. Barclays PLC was founded in 1690 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Swedbank AB (publ) provides banking products and services to private and corporate customers in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the United States, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg, and China. It operates through Swedish Banking; Baltic Banking; Corporates and Institutions; and Premium and Private Banking segments. The company offers saving and investment solutions, such as savings accounts, mutual funds and insurance savings, pension savings, institutional asset management, and other savings and investment products; financing solutions, including private residential lending, consumer financing, corporate lending, leasing, and other financing products, as well as trade finance and factoring services; and payment and card services, which include current accounts, cash management, cash handling, debit and credit cards, and card acquiring, as well as domestic, international, mobile, document, and other payment products. It also provides trading and capital market products, such as equity trading, structured products, corporate finance, custody services, fixed income and currency trading, and other capital market products; other services, including administrative services, treasury operations, real estate brokerage and management services, legal services, and safe deposit boxes; and private banking services. In addition, the company offers pension insurance and plans, endowment insurance, and personal insurance products; mortgage lending; mortgage lending; advisory services and investment banking; and transaction banking services comprising cash management, securities, account, and clearing and settlement services, as well as Internet and mobile banking services. The company was formerly known as ForeningsSparbanken AB and changed its name to Swedbank AB (publ) in September 2006. Swedbank AB (publ) was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Sundbyberg, Sweden.

Swedbank AB (publ) provides banking products and services to private and corporate customers in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the United States, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg, and China. It operates through Swedish Banking; Baltic Banking; Corporates and Institutions; and Premium and Private Banking segments. The company offers saving and investment solutions, such as savings accounts, mutual funds and insurance savings, pension savings, institutional asset management, and other savings and investment products; financing solutions, including private residential lending, consumer financing, corporate lending, leasing, and other financing products, as well as trade finance and factoring services; and payment and card services, which include current accounts, cash management, cash handling, debit and credit cards, and card acquiring, as well as domestic, international, mobile, document, and other payment products. It also provides trading and capital market products, such as equity trading, structured products, corporate finance, custody services, fixed income and currency trading, and other capital market products; other services, including administrative services, treasury operations, real estate brokerage and management services, legal services, and safe deposit boxes; and private banking services. In addition, the company offers pension insurance and plans, endowment insurance, and personal insurance products; mortgage lending; mortgage lending; advisory services and investment banking; and transaction banking services comprising cash management, securities, account, and clearing and settlement services, as well as Internet and mobile banking services. The company was formerly known as ForeningsSparbanken AB and changed its name to Swedbank AB (publ) in September 2006. Swedbank AB (publ) was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Sundbyberg, Sweden.

Latest Banks and Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, Barclays PLC had a $92.3 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $716.9 million. Barclays PLC’s stock is up 8.1% in 2026, down 1.5% in the previous five trading days and up 38.47% in the past year.

Currently, Barclays PLC’s price-earnings ratio is 43.1. Barclays PLC’s trailing 12-month revenue is $37.3 billion with a 27.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 12.0%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.799 per share for the current fiscal year. Barclays PLC currently has a 2.3% dividend yield.

As of July 31, 2026, Swedbank AB (publ) had a $44.9 billion market cap, putting it in the 93rd percentile of all stocks. Swedbank AB (publ)’s stock is up 15.5% in 2026, up 4.9% in the previous five trading days and up 49.57% in the past year.

Currently, Swedbank AB (publ) does not have a price-earnings ratio. Swedbank AB (publ)’s trailing 12-month revenue is $7.1 billion with a 45.1% net profit margin. As of July 31, 2026, Swedbank AB (publ) has not reported significant year-over-year quarterly sales. There are no analysts providing consensus earnings estimates for the current fiscal year. Swedbank AB (publ) does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ) Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
Barclays PLC BCS D
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY F
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY F

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Barclays PLC has a Quality Score of 26, which is Weak. Swedbank AB (publ) has a Quality Score of 11, which is Very Weak. Swedbank AB (publ) has a Quality Score of 11, which is Very Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) is the better investment when it comes to quality.

Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
Barclays PLC BCS B
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY B
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Barclays PLC has a Momentum Score of 76, which is Strong. Swedbank AB (publ) has a Momentum Score of 77, which is Strong. Swedbank AB (publ) has a Momentum Score of 77, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ) have a grade of B. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
Barclays PLC BCS D
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY na
Swedbank AB (publ) SWDBY na

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Barclays PLC has a Earnings Estimate Score of 25, which is Negative. Swedbank AB (publ) does not have a meaningful Earnings Estimate Score. Swedbank AB (publ) does not have a meaningful Earnings Estimate Score.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ) Grades

In addition to Quality, Estimate Revisions and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

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Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ) pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) or Swedbank AB (publ) Stock?

Overall, Barclays PLC stock has a Momentum Score of 76, Estimate Revisions Score of 25 and Quality Score of 26.

Swedbank AB (publ) stock has a Momentum Score of 77, Estimate Revisions Score of and Quality Score of 11.

Swedbank AB (publ) stock has a Momentum Score of 77, Estimate Revisions Score of and Quality Score of 11.

Comparing Barclays PLC, Swedbank AB (publ) and Swedbank AB (publ)’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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