New York, NY – As banks prepare to release their Q4 earnings, investors are eagerly awaiting insights from top Wall Street executives on the state of the US economy. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., and Wells Fargo & Co. will kick off the reporting cycle for Corporate America this Friday. It comes after US bank stocks outperformed the broader market, surging 23% in the last quarter.
Bank shares faced challenges throughout 2023 but started to gain momentum in late October as confidence grew around the Federal Reserve’s commitment to avoiding a recession through rate hikes. Now investor attention is focused on the potential easing of policies, with a particular interest in how this will impact various aspects of banks’ business, such as loan portfolios and deposit rates.
Analysts, like Richard Ramsden from Goldman Sachs, believe that although bank valuations have increased, they are not yet considered overstretched. If the banks’ upcoming earnings reports indicate positive trends around net interest income, loan growth, capital markets, and deposit pricing, it could result in higher earnings and further outperformance from certain banks.
In the lead-up to the earnings reports, the KBW Bank Index fell about 1% on Thursday, underperforming the broader market, which remained largely unchanged. This may indicate some caution from investors as they await the latest figures.
Looking ahead, attention will turn to the earnings of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, with PNC Financial Services Group also providing results. These reports are anticipated to shed light on the performance of regional lenders.
However, expectations for the big banks’ Q4 results are somewhat downbeat due to higher funding costs. Analysts from Goldman Sachs predict a drop in net interest income for the sector, along with elevated expenses and weak trading revenue, which may weigh on overall earnings. Modest loan growth is also expected.
Aside from financial performance, the banks are also expected to detail payments to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. resulting from regional bank failures in early 2023. Citigroup has already announced an expected $1.7 billion cost to replenish the FDIC fund, while Bank of America will take a $1.6 billion charge related to the Libor transition.
Banks experienced a turnaround in the last quarter as the prospect of future Federal Reserve rate cuts eased concerns surrounding net interest margins. However, with inflation rates still above the Fed’s target and expectations of more aggressive rate cuts than the central bank is signaling, caution remains. JPMorgan’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, voiced skepticism about the Fed’s ability to tame inflation without harming the economy.
Some analysts advise investors to temper their enthusiasm, indicating potential vulnerability in the sector. The financial industry has seen hedge funds, institutions, and retail clients selling off financial sector stocks in the past month. However, financial companies are the only sector where the majority of analyst earnings revisions were upwards, according to Citigroup data.
Despite potential risks and concerns, analysts like David Bianco from DWS Group maintain an overweight position on big banks such as JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. Factors contributing to this outlook include stable credit, offsetting a decline in global dealmaking fees, and a rise in initial public offerings.
In summary, as banks gear up to release their Q4 earnings, investors are closely watching to see the impact of policy easing on various aspects of the banks’ business. While caution remains due to higher funding costs, analysts believe positive results in net interest income, loan growth, and other areas could lead to increased earnings and overall outperformance from select banks.
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