Barclays Capital is thinking big. As Reuters banking correspondent Steve Slater wrote earlier:

“Barclays Capital, the investment bank arm of Britain’s Barclays Plc (BARC.L), will hire more than 750 staff this year as part of its plan to win leading positions in equities and M&A advisory, a top executive said.

“The bank, which bought the U.S. business of Lehman Brothers in September, is now expanding in Europe and Asia. It is also targeting a top three spot in prime services to take advantage of a retreat by rivals servicing hedge funds, he said.

“Barclays Capital (BarCap) has hired 450 people in equities and plans to hire another 250 by the end of the year, said Jerry del Missier, president of BarCap. It plans to hire about 65 merger and acquisition (M&A) advisers this year, he said.

“It’s certainly our intention to be a leading global player in equities and advisory over the next three years,” del Missier told Reuters in an interview this week.”