Barclays CEO makes first day gain as shares jump on "stress test" results

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Barclays Plc (LSE: BARC.L - news) shares jumped 4 percent on Tuesday after Britain's third biggest bank came through a "stress test" by regulators better than expected, netting a quick 230,000 pounds for its new chief executive on his first morning.

Jes Staley, a former head of investment banking at U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . bank JPMorgan, took over as CEO on Tuesday just as the Bank of England released results of its annual health check of the country's seven biggest lenders.

By 1220 GMT shares in Barclays were up 3.8 percent at 232 pence, leading gains by all the UK banks as investors reacted positively to the stress test results.

There had been concern the results would show Barclays may be stretched during the 2016 stress test, when minimum common equity capital ratio (CET1) and leverage requirements will rise.

"If all banks were to suffer the same stressed hit to CET1/leverage ratios next year, then they would still pass. This is better than we had anticipated, especially for Barclays," said Citi analyst Andrew Coombs.

For American Staley, it brought in a paper gain on 6.5 million pounds of Barclays shares he bought last month. He is near flat on that bet, after buying the shares at 233p apiece.

Staley said on Tuesday he was joining Barclays with "excitement and optimism for the future."

"We of course have much to do to get the bank where we want it to be, but I am confident we will get there together," Staley said in a brief memo to staff.

He issued a more detailed memo when he was appointed in late October, pledging to complete a restructuring of the investment bank. That is seen as one of his key early tasks, alongside separating its domestic retail bank to meet new UK rules, cutting more costs, and improving culture and standards, investors have said. (Reporting by Steve Slater, editing by David Evans)