Bank of America Shares Fall Despite Trading-Led Profit Surge

Core Viewpoint - Bank of America reported a significant increase in fourth-quarter income due to heightened market volatility, which positively impacted its trading operations, despite a more than 4% drop in shares intraday on Wednesday [1] Financial Performance - Sales and trading revenue for the quarter ended December 31 rose 10% year over year to $4.5 billion, with equity trading revenue increasing by 23% to $2.0 billion and fixed income, currencies, and commodities revenue rising by 2% to $2.5 billion [2] - Revenue net of interest expense totaled $28.4 billion, up 7% from the previous year, driven by higher net interest income and a surge in asset management fees, surpassing analysts' expectations of $27.78 billion [2] Credit and Expenses - Provisions for credit losses were reported at $1.3 billion, a decrease from the prior-year period and unchanged from the previous quarter [3] - Noninterest expenses increased by 4% to $17.4 billion, attributed to higher technology investments and increased litigation costs [3] Net Income - Net income for the quarter was $7.6 billion, resulting in diluted earnings per share of $0.98, which exceeded Bloomberg consensus estimates of $0.95 [3]