JPMorgan’s net income soared 50% to more than $14 billion in the fourth quarter as the bank’s profit and revenue easily beat Wall Street forecasts, and other major banks reported banner earnings for the year.
Earnings per share rose to $4.81 from $3.04 a year ago. The result beat Wall Street profit projections of $4.09 a share, according to the data firm FactSet. Total managed revenue hit $43.7 billion, up 10%, from $39.9 billion a year ago. Wall Street was expecting revenue of $41.9 billion.
JPMorgan posted a record $54 billion profit for the year, or $18.22 per share, adjusted for one-time expenses.
Yet interest income fell 3% to $23.5 billion, driven lower by lower interest rates.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank got a boost from investment banking business, where fees rose 49% and markets revenue jumped 21%.
The bank’s consumer banking business also thrived, with clients opening nearly 2 million checking accounts.
The New York bank set aside $2.6 billion to cover bad loans, down slightly from the same period a year ago.
JPMorgan shares rose 1.2% before the bell.
Wells Fargo also topped profit expectations Wednesday with a nearly 50% jump in net income, with earnings of $5.1 billion in the fourth quarter, or $1.43 per share. Revenue came in at $20.4 billion, a touch lower than expectations. In the same quarter a year ago, Wells posted net income of $3.4 billion, or 86 cents per share, on $20.5 billion in revenue.
In September, Wells Fargo agreed to work with U.S. bank regulators to shore up its financial crimes risk management, including internal controls related to suspicious activity and money laundering. The agreement came just seven months after the Biden Administration lifted a consent order on the bank that had been in place since 2016 following a series of scandals, including the opening of fake customer accounts.
Wells rose 3.2% before markets opened.
JPMorgan’s Dimon said the U.S. economy remains strong, noting the nation’s low unemployment and strong consumer spending.
“Businesses are more optimistic about the economy, and they are encouraged by expectations for a more pro-growth agenda and improved collaboration between government and business,” said, alluding the an incoming Trump administration that has promised to cut regulations across industries.
Dimon said that any regulation should balance promoting growth and keeping the banking system safe. “This is not about weakening regulation … but rather about setting rules that are transparent, fair and holistic in their approach and based on rigorous data analysis, so that banks can play their critical role in the economy and markets.”
Dimon, however, said that the state of the geopolitics “remains the most dangerous and complicated since World War II” and that JPMorgan is preparing for a wide range of outcomes.
