JPM's Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates on Solid Trading & NII, Weak IB Hurts

Core Insights - JPMorgan's adjusted fourth-quarter 2025 earnings reached $5.23 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.01, driven by strong trading performance and higher net interest income (NII) [1][10] Group 1: Revenue Performance - Markets revenues increased by 17% to $8.2 billion, surpassing management's expectations of low-teens growth [2] - Fixed-income markets revenues rose 7% to $5.38 billion, while equity markets revenues surged 40% to $2.86 billion [2] - Total net revenues were reported at $45.79 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $45.69 billion [6] Group 2: Investment Banking Performance - Investment banking (IB) business underperformed expectations, with advisory fees declining 3% and debt and equity underwriting fees falling 16% and 2%, respectively [3] - Total IB fees in the Commercial & Investment Bank segment decreased by 5% year-over-year to $2.35 billion, contrary to management's projection of low single-digit growth [3] Group 3: Net Interest Income and Loan Growth - NII increased by 7% year-over-year to $25 billion, with management projecting NII to reach nearly $103 billion for the year, up 7.4% from $95.9 billion in 2025 [4][6] - Total loans saw an 11% year-over-year increase, contributing to the rise in NII [4] Group 4: Operating Expenses and Provisions - Operating expenses rose, with adjusted non-interest expenses expected to be $105 billion for the year, up from $96 billion in 2025 [5] - Provisions for credit losses surged 77% year-over-year to $4.66 billion, which included reserves for the Apple credit card portfolio [9][10] Group 5: Credit Quality and Asset Performance - Net charge-offs increased by 5% to $2.51 billion, while non-performing assets rose 11% to $10.36 billion as of December 31, 2025 [11] - The performance of business segments showed a rise in net income for CIB and Asset & Wealth Management, while CCB and Corporate segments experienced a decline [8] Group 6: Capital Position and Share Repurchases - Tier 1 capital ratio was estimated at 15.5%, down from 16.8% in the prior year, while the total capital ratio was 17.3%, compared to 18.5% a year ago [12] - The company repurchased 26.7 million shares for $7.9 billion during the reported quarter [13]