On Wednesday, Evercore ISI reaffirmed its positive stance on JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), maintaining an Outperform rating.
The financial giant reported a substantial earnings beat for the fourth quarter of 2024, with earnings per share (EPS) of $4.81, surpassing both Evercore ISI and consensus estimates, which were pegged at $3.84 and $3.90 respectively.
The robust performance was attributed to a 49% increase in investment banking fees and a 21% rise in trading revenue, which are anticipated to be among the highest for the quarter.
Additionally, asset and wealth management fees grew by 21%, and there was a notable expansion in payment processing and card sales volumes. JPMorgan's return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) continued to impress, reaching 21%.
Despite relatively modest growth in core banking, with loans and deposits each increasing by 2% and net interest income (NII) declining slightly due to lower rates and deposit margin compression, the outlook for NII in 2025 is positive.
The firm reiterated the price target of $264.00 for JPMorgan stock.
Management expects NII to reach approximately $90 billion excluding markets and $94 billion including them, which is around $3 billion higher than consensus estimates.
The bank's capital position appears strong, with a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 15.7%, reduced risk-weighted assets (RWA), and a more favorable regulatory outlook.
JPMorgan plans to invest in various areas including hiring bankers and advisors, opening new branches, enhancing technology, and marketing efforts, aligning with the street's expense outlook of $95 billion for 2025.
Management expressed optimism about the economic environment, citing the resilience of the U.S. economy, low unemployment rates, healthy consumer spending, and a positive business outlook buoyed by expectations of a pro-growth agenda and better government-business collaboration.
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