JPMorgan Credit and Debit Volumes Slow as Reserve for Card Losses Grows

Economic Outlook - J.P. Morgan is adopting a cautious stance on the economic outlook, increasing loan loss provisions and boosting unemployment assumptions to 5.8% from 5.5% [2][6] - CEO Jamie Dimon highlighted considerable economic turbulence, including geopolitical factors, tariffs, inflation, and high asset prices [4] Consumer Spending - Consumer spending on credit and debit cards has slowed to 7% in the first quarter, down from 8% in the previous quarter, indicating potential pressure [3] - There is evidence of consumers "front-loading" spending ahead of anticipated price increases due to tariffs [10] Credit Performance - Current credit performance remains in line with expectations, with credit costs reported at $3.3 billion, net charge-offs at$2.3 billion, and a net reserve build of $973 million [5][7] - The increase in loan loss provisions is not primarily driven by deterioration in credit performance, which remains stable [7] Investment Banking Outlook - The bank is adopting a cautious investment banking outlook due to market uncertainty and the impact of tariff policies on corporate clients [9] - Corporate clients are shifting focus from strategic priorities to short-term adjustments in response to tariff changes, leading to a wait-and-see attitude [10] Consumer and Small Business Sentiment - Despite recent downtrends in sentiment, metrics such as spend, cash buffers, payment-to-income ratios, and credit utilization are in line with expectations [8] - Average deposits decreased by 2% year on year but remained flat sequentially [8]