British bank Barclays said Monday that the group\'s pre-tax profits soared to £2.42 billion (2.76 billion euros, $3.87 billion) in the third quarter as it slashed its exposure to eurozone debt. Pre-tax profits had stood at £327 million in the third quarter of 2010, Barclays said in a statement. Barclays said its sovereign exposure to Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain was reduced by 31 percent to £8.0 billion in the third quarter. \"Eurozone country exposures continue to be managed closely and valued appropriately,\" the bank added.