CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corp. (BAC) on Monday reported quarterly financials that fell short of Wall Street expectations but CEO and chair Brian Moynihan chose to accent the positive, citing what he called “strong organic growth.”
First, the numbers:
The bank reported second-quarter net income of $6.25 billion.
The Charlotte-based corporate giant said it had earnings of 73 cents per share.
The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 77 cents per share.
The nation’s second-largest bank posted revenue of $25.22 billion in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $22.69 billion, also missing Street forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $22.97 billion.
However, Moynihan in a statement stressed positive angles to the report:
“Our strong organic growth engine once again was evident in new account openings for checking, consumer investments, and small businesses, as well as net new Merrill and Private Bank households and new commercial banking customers. This solid client activity across our businesses, coupled with higher interest rates, drove strong net interest income growth and allowed us to perform well in a weakened capital markets environment. We grew revenue 6% and delivered our fourth straight quarter of operating leverage.
“Our U.S. consumer clients remained resilient with continued strong deposit balances and spending levels. Loan growth continued across our franchise and our markets teams helped clients navigate significant volatility reflecting economic uncertainty. As we enter the second half of the year, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver for our shareholders while continuing to invest in our people, businesses and communities.”
Bank of America shares have decreased 28% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P’s 500 index has decreased 19%. The stock has declined 15% in the last 12 months.
