Investment Thesis:
- Attractive valuation versus the price target.
- Leveraged to the improving economic conditions and activity in the U.S.
- Efficiency gains at the expense line exceeds market expectations.
- Significant leverage to the yield curve steepening in the U.S.
- Cost out program to support earnings over the long-term.
- Revenue growth driven by consumer and business.
- Credit quality is very strong, with further reserve releases possible.
- Capital position is well above requirement level and management’s desired buffer, which opens up capital management initiatives.
Key Risks:
- Further decline in net interest margins from low yields and U.S. Fed interest rate cuts.
- Intense competition to loan growth.
- Subdued economic growth or a shallow/deep recession.
- Funding pressures for deposits and wholesale funding.
- Political and regulatory changes affecting the banking legislation.
- Credit risk with potential default of mortgages, personal and business loans and credit cards.
- Efficiency gains disappoint relative to market expectations.
Key Highlights:
- 2Q22 result summary. Revenue (net of interest expense) increased +6% y/y to$22.7bn, with Net interest income (NII) up +22% y/y to $12.4bn (yield up +25bps to 1.86%), driven by higher interest rates, lower premium amortization and loan growth, and non-interest income down -9% y/y to $10.2bn, driven by lower investment banking fees, mark-to-market losses related to leveraged finance positions and lower service charges due to non-sufficient funds and overdraft policy changes, partially offset by higher sales and trading revenues.
- Non-interest expense increased +2% y/y (flat qoq) to $15.3bn and included $425m recognized for certain regulatory matters.
- Net income of $6.2bn, declined -32% y/y as pcp benefited by positive tax adjustment from revaluation of U.K. deferred tax assets of $2bn and $2.2bn in credit reserves releases, with Consumer Banking decreasing -5% y/y to $2.9bn, Global Banking decreasing -38% y/y to $1.5bn, Global Markets increasing +12% y/y to $1bn and Global Wealth & Investment Management increasing +16% y/y to $1.2bn.
- Average loan and lease balances up +12% y/y to $1.0 trillion led by strong commercial loan growth as well as higher consumer balances and average deposits up +7% y/y to $2.0 trillion.
- CET1 declined -100bps y/y (up +10bps qoq) to 10.5%, however, remains well above 2Q minimum requirement of 9.5% and +10bps above expected minimum required on October 1, with management expecting to build some additional buffer on top of that in 3Q.
- Shareholder returns of $2.7bn ($1.7bn in dividends and $1bn in repurchases).
- NII outlook. Assuming forward curve (as on July 15) materializing (asset sensitivity on a spot basis to a 100bps rate hike would be $5.8bn), modest growth in loans and deposits and deposit betas reflecting disciplined pricing, management expects net interest income in 3Q22 to increase by $900m-1bn qoq, further growing at a faster pace on a sequential basis in 4Q22, which combined with combined with expense discipline should boost the bottom line.
- Strong asset quality. Asset quality continued to remain strong with net charge-offs declining -4% y/y to $571m resulting in a net charge-off ratio of 23bps (down -4bps y/y), however, bank took a provision for credit losses of $523m (vs release of $1621m in pcp) amid loan growth and builds for a dampened macroeconomic outlook in the future. Though a slowdown in economy/recession brings risks of worsening credit profile, the BAC’s loan portfolio remains solid and carries less inherent risk compared to prior downturns, with lower concentration in the consumer portfolio (down -22% vs 4Q09), less exposure to unsecured consumer credit (down -48% vs 4Q09) and home equity loans (down -82% vs 4Q09), and 92% of commercial loan book either investment-grade or secured with Fed’s stress test indicating significantly lower credit losses expected in a severe downturn (5.2% vs 6.9% in 2013) and the bank holding much higher liquidity with global liquidity sources having increased 5x over 4Q09.
Company Description:
Bank of America (BAC) is one of the largest banks in the U.S., serving consumers, small and middle-market businesses, and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management, and other financial and risk management products and services.
(Source: Banyantree)
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