BofA’s profit falls on shrinking interest income

BANK of America’s profit fell in the second quarter as its income from interest on loans shrank and it set aside more money to cover potential credit losses.

A better-than-expected forecast for fourth-quarter net interest income (NII), however, sent shares up 1 per cent in premarket trade.

“The strength and earnings power of our leading consumer banking business is complemented by the growth and profitability of our global markets, global banking, and wealth management businesses,” CEO Brian Moynihan said in a statement on Tuesday (Jul 16).

The second biggest US lender earned US$6.9 billion, or 83 cents per share, in the second quarter ended Jun 30, compared with US$7.4 billion, or 88 cents per share, a year earlier, it said in a statement.

Banks are shelling out more on deposits as interest rates are at their highest since 2007, which have boosted returns on bonds, making alternatives such as money market funds more attractive.

The cost of preventing a deposit drain has eroded banks’ gains from the rising interest payments that they are charging borrowers.

BofA’s NII in the second quarter fell 3 per cent to US$13.7 billion. Provisions for credit losses were US$1.5 billion, higher than US$1.1 billion a year earlier.

The bank said it expects NII in the fourth quarter to be US$14.5 billion, higher than the US$14.4 billion analysts were predicting, according to LSEG.

A resurgence in capital markets, due to resilience of the US economy that encouraged companies to raise capital through selling stocks and issuing bonds in recent months, has boosted underwriting fees at investment banks.

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Mergers and acquisitions are also gaining momentum, boosting advisory fees for investment banks. BofA’s investment banking fees jumped 29 per cent to US$1.6 billion.

The unit faced tougher year-over-year comparisons versus peers. In the second quarter of 2023, BofA’s investment banking fees grew 7 per cent, while JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup had reported a drop. REUTERS