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- JPMorgan posted a 14% jump in first-quarter revenue to $33 billion, crushing analyst expectations.
- Net income of $14.3 billion exceeded analyst estimates of $9 billion for the quarter.
- The bank released more credit reserves and saw strong performance in its investment banking division.
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JPMorgan, the top US bank by assets, reported first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, beating consensus estimates of analysts polled by Bloomberg on strong trading revenue.
It is the first major bank to report results this quarter, paving the way to offer a look at how banking businesses are faring alongside progress in COVID-19 vaccinations.
The bank’s net revenue came in at $33 billion, up 14% from a year ago, driven by its performance in the corporate and investment-banking division.
“JPMorgan Chase earned $14.3 billion in net income reflecting strong underlying performance across our businesses, partially driven by a rapidly improving economy,” CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement.
“With all of the stimulus spending, potential infrastructure spending, continued Quantitative Easing, strong consumer and business balance sheets and euphoria around the potential end of the pandemic, we believe that the economy has the potential to have extremely robust, multi-year growth.”
Here are the key numbers:
- Net income: $14.3 billion versus $9 billion estimated
- Earnings per share: $4.50 versus $3.13 estimated
- Revenue: $33.1 billion versus $30.3 billion estimated
The jump in profit was partly driven by a release of loan loss reserves, in the amount of $5.2 billion this quarter. Last quarter, the bank released $2.9 billion in reserves.
The bank had set aside reserves of $26 billion in anticipation of a wave of loan defaults amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dimon said he believed the amount is “appropriate and prudent, all things considered.”
JPMorgan’s corporate and investment-banking divison was the standout performer, with a 46% jump in net revenue to $14.6 billion. Its robust performance was fuelled by a surge in deal-making as the bank advised on 126 deals worth about $208 billion in the first-quarter, according to GlobalData.
JPMorgan’s shares are up 21% since the start of this year.
Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo are expected to report first-quarter results later on Wednesday.
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