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Bank Stocks 'An Island of Stability' as Financial Institutions Set to Release Earnings
US Markets

Bank Stocks 'An Island of Stability' as Financial Institutions Set to Release Earnings

Wall Street banks and smaller competitors remain attractive investment opportunities as financial institutions are set to report earnings this week, according to analysts at BofA Securities and KBW."Our conversations indicate a long bias toward bank stocks that have emerged as an island of stability in a financials sector where stocks have been rocked by fears due to (artificial intelligence) disruption risks, and the adoption of digital assets," Ebrahim Poonawala, head of North American banks research at BofA, said in a note to clients.Long-only investors and portfolio managers are looking for proof that earnings momentum will continue into 2027, he said. That would make the group a "reliable play" as investors move away from chip stocks, Poonawala said.Bank stocks so far this year have performed better than the broader market. The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index is up about 14% so far this year, compared with a 10% gain in the S&P 500 Index."While this has pushed relative multiples higher, relative valuations remain well-below long-term averages," KBW banking analyst Christopher McGratty said in a July 8 note to clients.Banking giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citigroup (C) are expected to release quarterly results before markets open in the US on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley (MS) reports Wednesday, followed by US Bancorp (USB) on Thursday.BofA's Poonawala said a key question for bank profitability is how firms are performing on net interest income -- the difference between the money a bank generates from interest-bearing assets such as loans and securities and the interest it pays out to depositors and lenders."Investors appear increasingly willing to tolerate modest margin pressure if banks can deliver improving NII," he said. "The key debate is whether management teams can offset deposit competition with asset repricing, loan growth, fee growth and operating leverage."Poonawala's favorite names in the banking sector are Citi, Morgan Stanley, State Street (STT), PNC Financial Services (PNC), Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) and US Bancorp. He categorized M&T Bank (MTB), Regions Financial (RF) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) as "crowded relative shorts," according to the note.Investors are looking for JPMorgan, the largest US bank by assets, to guide on net interest income and trends in capital markets, he said.If JPMorgan raises its NII guidance excluding markets and says there's no incremental increase in its expense outlook, it "could trigger sustained stock outperformance," Poonawala said.KBW said it is sticking with its view that so-called universal banks -- Wells Fargo, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs -- will continue to benefit from "multi-year structural tailwinds for capital markets and capital return."Stocks that KBW recommends investors hold overweight positions in include Morgan Stanley, PNC, Popular (BPOP), Flagstar Bank (FLG) and Hancock Whitney (HWC).KBW no longer expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year and believes the year will end with a Fed funds rate of 3.75%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond is expected to be 4.4% through the end of 2027, up from a previous estimate of 4.2%, KBW said. Gross-domestic product growth should come in at 2.1% this year and 2% next year, with unemployment between 4.3% and 4.5%, KBW predicted."A higher-for-longer interest rate outlook is firmly entrenched in market expectations," McGratty said in his research note.Another buoyant factor for banks was IPO volumes and mergers and acquisitions, he said."Investment banking results for (the second quarter) are expected to be strong with pockets of M&A advisory fees expected to aid top-line results, though equity underwriting is expected to be the story of (the quarter), with the bulge brackets set to benefit the most following elevated issuance from mega-deals pricing during the quarter," McGratty said.Deals in the quarter included SpaceX's (SPCX) record IPO in June.Matthew Leising

$BAC$BPOP$C$FITB$GS$HBAN$HWC$JPM$MS$MTB$PNC$RF$SPCX$STT$USB$WFC
S&P 500 Heads Into Second-Quarter Earnings Season With Elevated Growth Targets, Oppenheimer Says
US Markets

S&P 500 Heads Into Second-Quarter Earnings Season With Elevated Growth Targets, Oppenheimer Says

The S&P 500 is heading into the second-quarter reporting cycle with consensus earnings growth projections at their highest in recent quarters, Oppenheimer Asset Management said Monday in a report.Major banks including JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Wells Fargo (WFC) are scheduled to release results on Tuesday.FactSet expects S&P 500 earnings growth of 23.6% from a year earlier, the report said. In the first quarter, earnings rose 27.9% overall on revenue growth of 11.7%."We're expecting overall good results for S&P 500 earnings as fundamentals -- economic, corporate and consumer -- in our view appear conducive for continued growth," Oppenheimer said.Favored sectors include information technology, communications services, industrials, financials and consumer discretionary, the report said.The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted a second straight weekly gain on Friday."We remain positive on stocks particularly in the US but also from a global perspective," Oppenheimer said.Oil prices jumped Monday after President Donald Trump said the US was reinstating a blockade of Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

$BAC$C$GS$JPM$WFC
Equities Fall Intraday, Oil Soars as Trump Reinstates Iranian Shipping Blockade in Hormuz
US Markets

Equities Fall Intraday, Oil Soars as Trump Reinstates Iranian Shipping Blockade in Hormuz

US benchmark equity indexes were lower intraday, while oil prices jumped as President Donald Trump said Washington was reinstating a blockade of Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the Middle East.The Nasdaq Composite was down 1.3% at 25,939.2 after midday Monday, while the S&P 500 fell 0.7% to 7,526.4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.3% to 52,507. Among sectors, technology saw the steepest decline, while energy paced the gainers.West Texas Intermediate crude was up 7.4% at $76.72 a barrel, while Brent gained 7.5% to $81.76.The US and Iran continued to exchange airstrikes over the weekend, with Tehran targeting American military facilities across several Middle Eastern countries, news outlets reported. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly said it closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz until further notice, though the US military disputed the claim.The strait is open and will remain so "with or without Iran," Trump said in a social media post Monday, adding that the US was reinstating a blockade of Iranian shipping through the narrow waterway."The USA will be, from this point forward, known as 'the guardian of the Hormuz strait,' but as such, and as a matter of fairness, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped," Trump said.Hostilities between the US and Iran resumed recently, weeks after they signed a memorandum of understanding to end their war. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important chokepoint for crude flows.The growing US-Iran conflict threatens to derail the recovery of global oil inventories and further diminishes the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough, Saxo Bank said in a note.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Monday reduced its global oil demand growth outlook for this year while upgrading its projection for 2027.US Treasury yields were higher intraday, with the two-year rate up 5.7 basis points at 4.27% and the 10-year rate rising 4.5 basis points to 4.61%.In company news, First Hawaiian (FHB) agreed to acquire TriCo Bancshares (TCBK) in an all-stock deal to create one of the largest banks headquartered in the western US, with combined assets of about $34 billion. First Hawaiian shares were down 4%, while TriCo jumped 11%.US banking giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Wells Fargo (WFC), Morgan Stanley (MS), and Citigroup (C) are expected to report their latest quarterly financial results later this week, along with other major corporations, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), UnitedHealth (UNH) and Netflix (NFLX).Gold fell 2.7% to $4,004.80 per troy ounce, while silver lost 3.7% to $57.92 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BAC$C$FHB$GS$JNJ$JPM$MS$NFLX$TCBK$UNH$WFC
Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Futures Drop Pre-Bell as Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Closed Once Again, Oil Prices Jump

(Updates with recent oil price movement, world markets' overview and corporate stock movements.)US equity futures were lower pre-bell Monday as hostilities continued to re-escalate in the Middle East and Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz once again closed, driving up oil prices.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.1% lower, S&P 500 futures were down 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures were 1.2% lower.The US and Iran traded heavy missile and drone attacks over the weekend, with the US military saying they hit Iranian military facilities, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.Iran, which is seeking to set up a permanent fee and permit system for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, said Sunday that the waterway remains closed until "stability and calm" is restored.In a post on X, US Central Command said that its forces are "postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping."Traders await a slew of earnings releases this week, including results from major US banks JPMorgan (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Citigroup (C) on Tuesday; Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Morgan Stanley (MS), and BlackRock (BLK) on Wednesday; and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), GE Aerospace (GE), and Netflix (NFLX) on Thursday.Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 4.3% at $79.27 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 4.2% higher at $74.41 per barrel.Federal Reserve board members Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller are slated to speak on Monday.In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.9% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.2% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 2.1% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.2%, and Germany's DAX index was flat in Europe's early afternoon session.In equities, Micron Technology (MU), AMD (AMD), and Intel (INTC) stocks were lower as part of a broader decline in the semiconductor sector. Micron shares fell 5.5%, AMD stock was down 2.9%, and Intel shares were 3.5% lower.On the winning side, the increase in oil prices lifted energy-related stocks. TotalEnergies (TTE) shares were up 1.6%, ConocoPhillips (COP) stock was 1.9% higher, and BP (BP) shares rose 1.6%. Accenture (ACN) stock was up 1% after the company said its subsidiary Accenture Capital on Friday closed the sale of five tranches of notes totaling approximately $5 billion.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ACN$AMD$BAC$BLK$BP$C$COP$GE$GS$INTC$JNJ$JPM$MS$MU$NFLX$TSM$TTE$UNH$WFC
Japan

US Equity Futures Drop Pre-Bell as Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Closed Once Again, Oil Prices Jump

US equity futures were lower pre-bell Monday as hostilities continued to re-escalate in the Middle East and Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz once again closed, driving up oil prices.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.1%, S&P 500 futures were down 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.9% lower.The US and Iran traded heavy missile and drone attacks over the weekend, with the US military saying they hit Iranian military facilities, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.Iran, which is seeking to set up a permanent fee and permit system for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, said Sunday that the waterway remains closed until "stability and calm" is restored.In a post on X, US Central Command said that its forces are "postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping."Traders await a slew of earnings releases this week, including results from major US banks JPMorgan (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Citigroup (C) on Tuesday; Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Morgan Stanley (MS), and BlackRock (BLK) on Wednesday; and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), GE Aerospace (GE), and Netflix (NFLX) on Thursday.Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 3.4% at $78.59 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 3.4% higher at $73.88 per barrel.Federal Reserve board members Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller are slated to speak on Monday.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BAC$BLK$C$GE$GS$JNJ$JPM$MS$NFLX$TSM$UNH$WFC
Equity Futures Down Amid Middle East Tensions; Key Earnings on Deck
US Markets

Equity Futures Down Amid Middle East Tensions; Key Earnings on Deck

The benchmark US equity measures were pointing lower before the opening bell Monday amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as markets awaited key inflation data and some major corporate earnings due later this week.The S&P 500 declined 0.4% and the Nasdaq was off 1.2% in premarket activity, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%. The three main indexes closed higher Friday.The US and Iran continued to exchange airstrikes over the weekend, news outlets reported.On Sunday, the US Central Command said it completed a new wave of strikes against Tehran at multiple locations, after conducting attacks a day earlier in response to the country targeting another commercial ship transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.Iran responded by targeting US military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, according to local state media. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also reportedly said it closed the strait until further notice, though the US military disputed the claim."The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway," CENTCOM said on the X platform. "Iran does not control the strait."West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 3.4% at $73.81 a barrel before the open, while Brent gained 3.3% to $78.50.With no major economic data scheduled for Monday, traders await the official US consumer price index for June, scheduled for Tuesday, followed by data on wholesale prices and retail sales for the same month on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman is scheduled to speak at 5:25 am ET Monday, while Fed Governor Christopher Waller speaks at 12:30 pm. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's testimony is due later in the week.US Treasury yields were mixed in premarket action Monday, with the 10-year rate little changed at 4.57% and the two-year rate rising one basis point to 4.22%.Banking giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Wells Fargo (WFC), Morgan Stanley (MS), Citigroup (C) are all expected to release their latest financial results later this week, along with other major corporations, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), UnitedHealth (UNH) and Netflix (NFLX).Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's (TSM) US-listed shares were up 0.1% pre-bell. Micron Technology (MU) fell 5.6%, while Nvidia (NVDA) decreased 1.7%.Gold dipped 0.9% to $4,075 per troy ounce, while bitcoin dropped nearly 2% to $62,893.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BAC$C$GS$JNJ$JPM$MS$MU$NFLX$NVDA$TSM$UNH$WFC
Asia Markets

Strait of Hormuz Squeezes Wall Street Pre-Bell; Asia, Europe Off

Wall Street futures pointed lower pre-bell Monday as the status of the Strait of Hormuz remained uncertain, and as crude prices gained.Tehran said the key waterway is closed, but US officials have said they are keeping shipping lanes open.In the futures, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%, the Nasdaq declined 0.9% and the Dow Jones was steady.West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded up 3.2% at $73.72 in morning action.Meanwhile, traders gird for a heavy week of earnings releases, including premarket reports on Tuesday from financial behemoths JPMorgan (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Citigroup (C).In addition, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's first semi-annual monetary policy reports to Congress are slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly signal events for gauging the mood of the central banker.Investors are also looking ahead to the June consumer price index (CPI) release from Washington on Tuesday, and the June national retail sales bulletin on Thursday.Asian exchanges traded mostly lower overnight, led by a 9% decline on Seoul's KOSPI Index, when semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix took hits.European bourses tracked modestly south midday on the continent.Federal Reserve board members Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller are slated to speak on Monday.In premarket action, Bitcoin traded at $63,035, and 10-year US Treasuries offered 4.57%. Spot gold commanded $4,068 an ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BAC$C$GS$JPM$WFC
Asia Markets

US Equity Investors to Focus on Banks Kicking Off Q2 Earnings, Warsh's Take on Inflation, Worsening Geopolitics This Week

US equity investors will focus on Q2 earnings this week, with big money-centre banks kicking off the earnings season in earnest, and consumer price inflation data amid an escalation of tensions with Iran.* JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citibank (C), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), and Wells Fargo (WFC) are among banks reporting quarterly earnings, with investors expecting results to help counter tense geopolitics. ASML (ASML) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) are among the others reporting, giving investors a fresh take on the state of the so-called AI trade.* Investors will look out for consumer and wholesale price inflation data amid the market pricing in at least one interest rate increase this year. Additionally, Federal Chair Kevin Warsh's testimony is due, alongside retail sales, Michigan consumer sentiment, and inflation expectations.* The combined probability that rates will be higher by 25 or 50 basis points from current levels by December is around 70%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Investors will parse Warsh's testimony, which comes amid a worsening geopolitical environment and higher crude oil prices. Fed's June meeting minutes, released last week, showed "quite a divide" on the rate path given the impact of the war in Iran on inflation, a Stifel note said on Friday.* The US and Iran each asserted Monday they controlled the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of attacks stretching across the wider Middle East, further threatening any diplomacy to end the war, the Associated Press reported early Monday.* Iran and the US are nearly at the midway point of a 60-day period that was supposed to result in a permanent end to the war, the news report said. Instead, it has devolved into a series of attacks over the strait and its future, worrying world leaders that the Iran war could fully resume, it added.* Early Monday, West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 3.4% to $73.87 a barrel.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ASML$BAC$C$GS$JPM$MS$TSM$WFC
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Edge Higher Premarket Thursday

Financial stocks were edging higher premarket Thursday, with the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) advancing by 0.1%.The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.4% and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.3% lower.Barclays (BCS) is preparing to sell about $875 million of debt financing to support Blackstone (BX) and Tinicum's acquisition of UK aerospace supplier Senior, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Shares of Barclays were nearly 1% higher pre-bell.WisdomTree (WT) has launched the WisdomTree Space Economy Fund or WSPC on Nasdaq. Shares of WisdomTree were down more than 2% premarket.Bank of America (BAC) has invested in two deals in Germany's Schuldschein private debt market since last year, as part of efforts to secure medium-sized European clients, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Bank of America stock was 0.2% higher pre-bell.

$BAC$BCS$BX$FAS$FAZ$WT$XLF
Banks Set for Second-Quarter Profit Growth Amid Net Interest, Noninterest Income Gains, RBC Says
Wire

Banks Set for Second-Quarter Profit Growth Amid Net Interest, Noninterest Income Gains, RBC Says

US banks are expected to report double-digit growth in second-quarter core earnings, buoyed by factors including net interest revenue and core noninterest income, RBC Capital Markets said in a Wednesday note.RBC is projecting a 19% annual jump in banks' median core earnings per share from a year earlier. Consensus estimates point to a 21% increase, according to the brokerage."Year-over-year, the increase should be driven by higher net interest revenue and core noninterest income, lower loan loss provisions and positive operating leverage," RBC co-Head of Global Financials Research Gerard Cassidy wrote.Net interest income is seen rising nearly 9.6%, with noninterest income estimates pointing to an 8.7% year-over-year advance. The brokerage assumes 9.5% loan growth, driven by commercial and industrial, as well as consumer loans.Provision for credit losses is expected to fall 2.2% annually."Credit losses should remain manageable in the (second quarter) and we expect that trend to continue into (year-end) 2026," Cassidy said.JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Citigroup (C) and Morgan Stanley (MS) are projected to report a 15% jump in market revenue and a 25% surge in investment banking.RBC's 12-month outlook on banks continues to be positive amid expectations for stronger loan and NII growth.Bank earnings, including results from Wells Fargo (WFC), are due out mid-July.Price: $329.42, Change: $+2.09, Percent Change: +0.64%

$BAC$C$GS$JPM$MS$WFC
Update: Dow Hits Fresh High as Wall Street Posts Solid Quarterly Gains
US Markets

Update: Dow Hits Fresh High as Wall Street Posts Solid Quarterly Gains

(Updates with market moves at the end of the day.)The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an new all-time high on Tuesday, with major technology stocks advancing, as Wall Street closed out a winning quarter.The Dow rose 0.3% to 52,319.2, logging record closing highs for two consecutive days. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.5% to 26,213.7, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to 7,499.36.The Dow posted a quarterly gain of nearly 13%, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 advanced 21% and 15%, respectively, on the quarter.The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched their best quarter in six years, while the Dow posted its strongest quarterly gain since the fourth quarter of 2022, CNBC reported. The Dow notched its best first-half performance since 2021, CNBC reported.Among sectors, tech paced the gainers Tuesday with a 2.6% jump, while real estate saw the steepest decline.Within tech, chip-related stocks led gains, with Sandisk (SNDK) up nearly 11%, the best performer on the S&P 500. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Marvell Technology (MRVL), On Semiconductor (ON) and Intel (INTC) were also notable gainers on the index.Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) were among the biggest gainers on the Dow.AeroVironment (AVAV) shares jumped nearly 19% as the drone maker late Monday reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results and issued an upbeat full-year revenue outlook at the midpoint.Shares of Citigroup (C), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) fell following rating downgrades from Oppenheimer.West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.9% at $70.11 a barrel in Tuesday late-afternoon trade, while Brent slipped 0.3% to $72.92.WTI and Brent were headed for a decline of about 20% for the month of June as oil prices sold off after the US and Iran agreed to a memorandum of understanding to end their war. In May, crude prices tumbled about 17%."Oil prices traded within a relatively tight range near recent lows while remaining on track for their biggest quarterly decline since the pandemic," Saxo Bank said in a report Tuesday.US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are in Doha, will meet Qatari mediators, not Iranian officials, CNN reported, citing Qatar's Foreign Ministry.US Treasury yields were higher, with the 10-year rate up six basis points at 4.44% and the two-year rate rising 3.9 basis point to 4.15%.In economic news, US consumer confidence edged higher in June as falling oil prices amid an extended US-Iran ceasefire eased inflation fears, the Conference Board said.US job openings were little changed in May as hiring fell and separations rose, according to official data that Oxford Economics said likely overstates labor market strength.Gold was last down 0.1% at $4,036.30 per troy ounce, while silver climbed 2.1% to $59.88 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$AMD$AVAV$BAC$C$GS$INTC$MRVL$MS$MSFT$NVDA$ON$SNDK
Wire

Goldman, Morgan Stanley, BofA, Citi Cut as Valuations Rise, Oppenheimer Says

Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C) were downgraded as rising valuations make large-cap bank stocks less compelling, prompting a shift toward alternative asset managers, Oppenheimer said Tuesday in a report.Commercial and investment banks remain on solid growth paths, with no near-term catalysts expected to disrupt earnings, the report said. Even so, Oppenheimer noted that valuations have already moved to the upper end of historical ranges for commercial banks and well above average for investment banks, leaving less room for upside despite strong credit conditions, robust trading activity and a buoyant investment-banking cycle.Oppenheimer recommended investors rotate out of large-cap bank stocks and into alternative asset managers, particularly Ares Management (ARES), Blackstone (BX) and KKR (KKR), where it sees more attractive entry points.Oppenheimer downgraded Goldman and Morgan Stanley to underperform from perform, and cut Bank of America and Citigroup to perform from outperform.Price: $1009.49, Change: $-10.72, Percent Change: -1.05%

$ARES$BAC$BX$C$GS$KKR$MS
Research

Oppenheimer Downgrades Bank of America to Market Perform From Outperform

Bank of America (BAC) has an average rating of buy and mean price target of $63.21, according to analysts polled by FactSet.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://finwires.com/en/contact)

$BAC
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Rise Late Afternoon

Financial stocks increased in late Monday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.4%.The Philadelphia Housing Index shed 0.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) fell 1.1%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.4% to $60,264, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was little changed at 4.37%.In economic news, the Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell to 0.0 in June from 0.4 in May, missing expectations for an increase to 1.0.In sector news, the US Supreme Court on Monday upheld a federal court's injunction preventing President Donald Trump from firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook before the conclusion of litigation.In corporate news, Bank of America's (BAC) Merrill Lynch unit was fined $7.5 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to file numerous reports to flag money laundering and other suspicious activity, Reuters reported. Bank of America shares were up 0.2%.Minted is working with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) as the stationery, art and home decor design platform explores a potential sale valued at about $1 billion, Reuters reported. JPMorgan shares added 0.4%.Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) plans to launch economic indicator futures contracts tied to global monetary policy decisions and US natural gas storage reports. ICE shares fell 0.9%.Korn Ferry (KFY) shares fell 2.6%. The company agreed to acquire UK-based talent solutions provider AMS for 850 million British pounds ($1.1 billion) in cash and stock.

$BAC$ICE$JPM$KFY
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial

Financial stocks increased in late Monday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.1% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.4%.The Philadelphia Housing Index shed 0.3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) fell 1%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.4% to $60,264, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was little changed at 4.37%.In corporate news, Bank of America's (BAC) Merrill Lynch unit was fined $7.5 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to file numerous reports to flag money laundering and other suspicious activity, Reuters reported. Bank of America shares climbed 0.3%.

$BAC
Wire

Update: Market Chatter: Bank of America Unit Fined by SEC for Failing to Report Suspicious Client Activity

(Updates to add Bank of America's response in the third paragraph, and add "numerous" word in the first paragraph.)Bank of America's (BAC) Merrill Lynch unit has been fined $7.5 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to file numerous reports to flag money laundering and other suspicious activity, Reuters reported Monday.Merrill Lynch has accepted the civil fine but has neither admitted or denied any wrongdoing over failures to file numerous suspicious activity reports from April 2020 to September 2024, according to the report.A Bank of America spokesperson toldthat the company has been engaging with the regulators on this matter, and continues to review its systems to detect and report suspicious activity.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $58.01, Change: $+0.13, Percent Change: +0.22%

$BAC
Wire

Market Chatter: Bank of America Unit Fined by SEC for Failing to Report Suspicious Client Activity

Bank of America's (BAC) Merrill Lynch unit has been fined $7.5 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to file reports to flag money laundering and other suspicious activity, Reuters reported Monday.Merrill Lynch has accepted the civil fine but has neither admitted or denied any wrongdoing over failures to file suspicious activity reports from April 2020 to September 2024, according to the report.Bank of America did not immediately respond to' request for comment.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $58.20, Change: $+0.31, Percent Change: +0.54%

$BAC
Major Banks Poised for Strong Quarterly Results, Outlook, Deutsche Bank Says
US Markets

Major Banks Poised for Strong Quarterly Results, Outlook, Deutsche Bank Says

US large-cap banks are expected to report strong second-quarter earnings and issue upbeat guidance, with Huntington Bancshares (HBAN), US Bancorp (USB), and Wells Fargo (WFC) seen as top picks, Deutsche Bank said Monday.The brokerage's per-share earnings estimates for major banks are 2% above Wall Street's views on average, as others likely have not factored in the intra-quarter guidance updates from lenders. Deutsche Bank said it's "most above consensus" on Citigroup (C) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM)."Several banks tweaked up their quarterly (net interest income) expectations in early June (driven by strong loan growth) and pointed to better-than-expected investment banking and trading/markets (revenue)," Deutsche Bank analyst Matt O'Connor said in a note to clients.Bank earnings are scheduled to kick off July 14, with JPMorgan, Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup, Goldman Sachs (GS), and Wells Fargo slated to report.Huntington trends likely stabilized in the June quarter, with results seen improving in the second half of the year, according to Deutsche Bank."We believe key issues seem to be resolving, including questions surrounding loan growth, liquidity, and deal risk," O'Connor said. "(Huntington) shares trade at the lowest multiple among our coverage despite a solid long-term track record of both deal integrations and organic growth."US Bancorp is experiencing improved execution under Chief Executive Gunjan Kedia and an upward bias to its full-year revenue outlook following consecutive strong quarterly performances. The lender's recently completed the acquisition of financial services firm BTIG is well-timed due to broad strength in equity trading, while the bank's payments division is also positioned to benefit from strong retail sales volumes, O'Connor said.Wells Fargo shares have lagged its peers so far this year following a couple of disappointing quarters regarding both financial results and outlook, Deutsche Bank said. However, first-quarter trends were better than initially perceived."Momentum has also been building more than the market appreciates in our view post the lifting of the asset cap in June of 2025 and we expect this to be more evident in (second quarter)/beyond," O'Connor wrote.Deutsche Bank's higher EPS outlook for Citigroup factors in a revenue boost from the recent transfer of American Airlines (AAL) card receivables from Barclays (BCS), according to the note.Price: $17.74, Change: $-0.05, Percent Change: -0.28%

$AAL$BAC$BCS$C$GS$HBAN$JPM$USB$WFC
International

Big Banks Boost Dividends After Passing Fed Stress Test

All 32 large banks subject to the Federal Reserve's annual stress test have sufficient capital to absorb losses totaling nearly $708 billion and continue lending to businesses and households under hypothetical stressful conditions, the Fed said Wednesday.Under the severely adverse scenario, the aggregate common equity tier 1 capital ratio of the 32 banks falls to its projected minimum of 11.2% from an actual 12.8% in Q4 2025, before rising to 12.7% at the end of the projection horizon."The aggregate and individual bank post-stress CET1 capital ratios remain above the required minimum regulatory levels throughout the projection horizon," the Fed said.JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) all boosted their dividends shortly after the results were announced.Price: $339.10, Change: $+5.65, Percent Change: +1.69%

$BAC$C$GS$JPM$MS
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Lower Late Afternoon

Financial stocks were lower in late Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index easing 0.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) shedding 0.7%.The Philadelphia Housing Index gained 3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) decreased 0.2%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 2.5% to $62,660, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 2 basis points to around 4.45%.In economic news, US initial jobless claims last week fell to 226,000 from an upwardly revised 230,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 225,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.In corporate news, Bank of America (BAC) scored an early victory in its collateral battle with Aequum Capital Financial II after a US bankruptcy judge temporarily barred Aequum from distributing cash collected from bankrupt auto-parts supplier First Brands' inventory sales, Bloomberg reported, citing the ruling. Bank of America shares were down 0.3%.SpaceX (SPCX) bankers are planning a potential bond sale of at least $20 billion to refinance a $20 billion bridge loan maturing in September 2027, Bloomberg reported. Bank of America, Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Morgan Stanley (MS), which provided the bridge financing, are expected to run the bond sale, the report said. Citi eased 0.2%, JPMorgan was down 2%, Goldman fell 0.4%, and Morgan Stanley was 0.5% lower.Apollo Global Management (APO) made some concessions regarding its debt refinancing for photo-services company Shutterfly in a bid to entice some unwilling investors, Bloomberg reported. Apollo shares fell 0.7%.Accenture (ACN) shares fell 17% after the company trimmed the top end of its full-year revenue outlook and posted weaker-than-expected fiscal Q3 sales, while announcing three cybersecurity acquisitions totaling about $4.18 billion.

$ACN$APO$BAC$C$GS$JPM$MS

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