J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Earlier this morning, Bank of America Corporation ( BAC ) reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of 2026. The large bank's shares were up in premarket trading. I've been a fan of both the bank's common and preferred shares, with my last analysis coming in February . While risks related to the Iran conflict and pr...
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Earlier this morning, Bank of America Corporation ( BAC ) reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of 2026. The large bank's shares were up in premarket trading. I've been a fan of both the bank's common and preferred shares, with my last analysis coming in February . While risks related to the Iran conflict and private credit weigh on the markets, I believe that Bank of America is well positioned to generate stable shareholder returns. Bank of America Q1 Earnings Lower interest rates have benefited Bank of America and allowed the bank to grow its margins. In the first quarter, asset yields dropped by 12 basis points to 4.38%. Fortunately, borrowing yields saw a steeper decline of 17 basis points to 3.00%. As rates have declined over the last couple of years, Bank of America has managed to maintain its asset yield decline at a lower rate than borrowing yields. Company Financials These changes are best displayed by examining the net interest spread, which has steadily grown over the last couple of years and rose by 5 basis points in the first quarter to 1.38%. When incorporating leverage, the net interest margin is also improving, although with less consistency. In the first quarter, the net interest margin did decline by 1 basis point, but at 2.07%, it is at the second-highest level since the first quarter of 2023. Company Financials These changes in rates and rate management are best exemplified by looking at interest income and expense. In the first quarter, Bank of America experienced an equidistant decline in both metrics of approximately $900 million. This led to net interest income (interest income less interest expense) being flat on a quarterly basis at around $15.75 billion. Despite the flat quarterly change, net interest income's trend continues to be positive for the bank. Company Financials Company Financials Changes in Loans and Deposits As interest rates have declined, ...
Bloomberg's Bruce Douglas discusses the recent developments in the private credit market, highlighting significant institutional activity. Pimco's purchase of $400 million in investment-grade private credit assets at a yield of approximately 6.5% signals renewed confidence. This contrasts with a larger $750 million bond deal by Goldman Sachs offering a lower spread of around 2.5% over Treasuries, ...
Bloomberg's Bruce Douglas discusses the recent developments in the private credit market, highlighting significant institutional activity. Pimco's purchase of $400 million in investment-grade private credit assets at a yield of approximately 6.5% signals renewed confidence. This contrasts with a larger $750 million bond deal by Goldman Sachs offering a lower spread of around 2.5% over Treasuries, reflecting different risk and liquidity profiles. (Source: Bloomberg)
On the April 14 episode of Mad Money, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told Jim Cramer something critical: Oil could be cut in half if the Iran war resolves favorably. Fink told the BBC that “I could paint a scenario where I could see, a year from now, oil at $40 a barrel.” With Brend crude ... Larry Fink Told Jim Cramer Oil Could Be Cut in Half — Here Are 5 Stocks That Would Explode Higher
On the April 14 episode of Mad Money, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told Jim Cramer something critical: Oil could be cut in half if the Iran war resolves favorably. Fink told the BBC that “I could paint a scenario where I could see, a year from now, oil at $40 a barrel.” With Brend crude ... Larry Fink Told Jim Cramer Oil Could Be Cut in Half — Here Are 5 Stocks That Would Explode Higher
Nikada/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) is continuing to enjoy the fruits of its dominant position in the smartphone market with its latest iPhone 17 iteration. In recent reporting from Counterpoint Research, the firm reported that AAPL turned in an industry-leading 5% YOY growth in smartphone shipments in Q1. This came even as the overall sector saw shipment declines. The strong ...
Nikada/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) is continuing to enjoy the fruits of its dominant position in the smartphone market with its latest iPhone 17 iteration. In recent reporting from Counterpoint Research, the firm reported that AAPL turned in an industry-leading 5% YOY growth in smartphone shipments in Q1. This came even as the overall sector saw shipment declines. The strong hardware sales, in addition to AAPL’s double-digit services revenue growth, were recently cited as factors likely to result in another strong reporting quarter, according to analysts at Bank of America ( BAC ). Ahead of the Q2 print, I view shares in AAPL as a solid ‘hold’ with a positive outlook ahead. In awaiting results, my mindset is more focused on the AI piece of the strategy as opposed to the core iPhone business and services engine. While AAPL has conveniently excelled at AI with seemingly little effort, I believe AAPL will ultimately need to make further inroads in order to realize the next leg of its growth journey. AAPL Stock Key Metrics Shares in AAPL have performed strongly over the past year, with gains of nearly 30%. The stock has lost some YTD, but the performance remains largely in-tact, nonetheless. Seeking Alpha - 1-YR Share Price Performance Of AAPL Stock As these gains have held, much of the recent coverage from the Seeking Alpha (“SA”) community has been bullish, though the consensus overall still appears to be neutral. Seeking Alpha - 3-YR Ratings History Of AAPL Stock This is echoed by the quants, which also see shares as a ‘hold.’ Whether the stock is ‘fairly valued’ is another story. The quants currently assign an ‘F’ score on valuation . In my view, that’s harsh. Seeking Alpha - Valuation Metrics Of AAPL Stock The stock trades at a premium multiple, but I believe the multiple is justified, given AAPL’s dominant market positioning and its ability to continue to drive sales growth of its newly released iterations of its iPhones. Wall Street would re...
The cost of imported goods rose sharply in March for the third month in a row, heralding further increases in U.S. inflation in the next few months, mostly due to higher oil prices.
The cost of imported goods rose sharply in March for the third month in a row, heralding further increases in U.S. inflation in the next few months, mostly due to higher oil prices.
A fully laden Chinese tanker has twice turned back from the US blockade of traffic leaving Iranian ports, despite setting off from the UAE. The incident highlights how Chinese commercial vessels are weighing up the risks posed by the naval blockade, with analysts saying no country’s ships are receiving “special treatment” at present. The Rich Starry sailed east through the Strait of Hormuz into th...
A fully laden Chinese tanker has twice turned back from the US blockade of traffic leaving Iranian ports, despite setting off from the UAE. The incident highlights how Chinese commercial vessels are weighing up the risks posed by the naval blockade, with analysts saying no country’s ships are receiving “special treatment” at present. The Rich Starry sailed east through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman around 2am local time on Tuesday, according to data from Mingkun Technology, a...