How Will Dip in Q2 IB Revenues & Trading Surge Impact BAC's Fee Income?

Core Insights - Bank of America (BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan highlighted anticipated weakness in investment banking (IB) fees for Q2, while trading revenues are expected to show strength [1][9]. Investment Banking Fees - BAC expects IB fees to decline over 20% year-over-year in Q2 due to tariff-related challenges affecting deal-making sentiment [2][9]. - In Q1, BAC reported IB fees of $1.52 billion, a 3% decline, primarily due to a drop in equity underwriting income, although higher advisory and debt underwriting revenues provided some offset [2]. Trading Revenues - BAC projects trading revenues to grow in the mid-to-high single-digit range for Q2, marking the 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth [3][9]. - Last quarter, BAC's sales and trading revenues reached $5.65 billion, the highest in a decade, with a consensus estimate of $5.11 billion for Q2, indicating a 9% year-over-year growth [3][4]. Non-Interest Income - Sales and trading account for approximately 43% of BAC's fee income, which is expected to help mitigate the pressure from declining IB fees, leading to a projected 2% increase in non-interest income to $11.87 billion [4][9]. Peer Comparisons - JPMorgan (JPM) anticipates mid-to-high single-digit growth in market revenues for Q2, while expecting IB fees to decline in the mid-teens range [5]. - Citigroup (C) expects a mid-single-digit increase in IB fees due to a rebound in deal-making activities, alongside similar growth projections for trading revenues [6]. Stock Performance - BAC shares have increased by 12.8% over the past three months, compared to JPMorgan's 19.1% and Citigroup's 16.6% increases [7]. Valuation and Earnings Estimates - BAC trades at a 12-month trailing price-to-tangible book (P/TB) ratio of 1.69X, which is below the industry average [10]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates year-over-year earnings growth of 12.2% for 2025 and 15.3% for 2026, with slight upward revisions for 2025 estimates and minor downward adjustments for 2026 [12].