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C Projects Higher Q2 IB & Markets Revenues: Fee Income to Benefit?
CitiCiti(US:C) ZACKSยท2025-06-12 15:16

Core Insights - Citigroup anticipates improved performance in its Markets and Banking segments for Q2 2025 despite tariff-related challenges [1][2] - The bank expects market revenues to grow in the mid-to-high single digits year-over-year, with investment banking revenues projected to increase by a mid-single-digit percentage [2][8] Market Activity - Trading desks at Citigroup have shown strong momentum in equities and fixed-income during Q2 [2] - Market activity initially stalled in April due to tariff uncertainties, but transaction volumes have rebounded alongside a stock market recovery [3] - M&A activity remains robust with ongoing deal discussions, and debt markets are expected to support acquisition financing [3] Revenue Expectations - Citigroup forecasts a sequential increase in credit costs by a few hundred million due to higher credit reserve builds [4] - As investment banking and market revenues improve, fee income, which constitutes about 33% of total revenues, is expected to rise [4][8] Competitor Insights - Other financial institutions, such as Morgan Stanley and Moelis & Company, share a positive outlook on investment banking prospects, noting a rebound in deal-making activity [5][6] - Morgan Stanley's CEO highlighted resilient deal discussions, while Moelis & Company's incoming CEO reported a strong deal pipeline [5][6] Stock Performance and Valuation - Citigroup's shares have increased by 11.3% year-to-date, while Morgan Stanley's shares rose by 4.8%, and Moelis & Company saw a decline of 21.5% [6] - Citigroup trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.60, below the industry average of 13.80 [10] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year earnings rise of 23% for 2025 and 25.9% for 2026, with upward revisions in estimates over the past 30 days [12]