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Bank of America

posted strong first-quarter results Thursday, however the inventory was tumbling as traders centered on the financial institution’s Covid-19-related bills and weaker-than-expected internet curiosity earnings and mortgage development.

Earnings at Bank of America (ticker: BAC) greater than doubled from a 12 months in the past, coming in at $8.1 billion, up from $Four billion in final 12 months’s first quarter. The financial institution posted earnings of 86 cents a share on gross sales of $22.Eight billion—topping analyst expectations for earnings of 66 cents a share on $21.9 billion in income.

Shares had been sliding 4% in current buying and selling, at $38.28, after advancing as a lot as 1.2% premarket. The

S&P 500

was up 0.7%.

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JPMorgan Chase

(JPM) and

Wells Fargo

(WFC), which reported earlier within the week, Bank of America’s outcomes had been helped by an bettering financial backdrop and the discharge of reserves constructed up final 12 months to cowl potential mortgage losses. The financial institution launched $2.7 billion from its reserves, in contrast with including $3.6 billion right now final 12 months. 

But whereas the financial backdrop is significantly better than feared, clients nonetheless aren’t taking out loans. Bank of America noticed income in its client financial institution fall by $1.1 billion to $8.1 billion due to the influence of decrease charges and mortgage balances.

Net curiosity earnings was $10.2 billion, down from $12.1 billion within the year-ago quarter, because the financial institution—like its friends—continues to be impacted by low interest rates, which narrows the unfold between what banks earn on lending and pay out in deposits. 

“While low interest rates continued to challenge revenue, credit costs improved and we believe that progress in the health crisis and the economy point to an accelerating recovery,” CEO
Brian Moynihan
mentioned in an announcement.

Weaker internet curiosity earnings was offset by a 19% bounce in noninterest earnings, which rose to $12.6 billion, thanks to sturdy capital markets and funding banking exercise. Bank of America famous file funding banking charges of $2.2 billion and file fairness underwriting charges of $900 million, which climbed 218%. Meanwhile, fixed-income buying and selling climbed 22% to $3.Three billion, whereas fairness buying and selling climbed 10% to $1.Eight billion.

The financial institution additionally noticed noninterest bills rise 15% to $15.5 billion due to elevated Covid-19 and compensation-related prices.

Citigroup

(C) additionally reported outcomes Thursday, whereas

Morgan Stanley (MS)

studies on Friday. JPMorgan Chase,

Goldman Sachs

Group (GS), and Wells Fargo kicked off bank earnings on Wednesday.

Write to Carleton English at carleton.english@dowjones.com