Barclays expects $ 1.3-billion writedown after US tax reform

The restructuring has led it to exit a raft of non-core operations, such as its business in Africa and units in Asia, in a bid to simplify its structure and boost returns to shareholders

Barclays expects to take a writedown of about £1-billion ($1.34 billion) on its annual post-tax profit as a result of the US tax overhaul, the bank said in a statement on Wednesday. 
 
The reform to the tax system signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 22 will force the British lender to reduce the value of its deferred tax assets, prompting it to take a one-off charge in its results for the 12 months to the end of December.
 
It will also lead to the bank’s common equity Tier 1 capital ratio, a key measure of