-- Bank of America (BAC) reported "clean" Q1 earnings per share of $1.11, beating consensus of $1.02 and UBS estimate of $1.03, with the investment firm saying the results could support a re-rating but the upcoming earnings call and guidance will be key for sustained outperformance.
The bank reported deposit costs of 1.99%, beating consensus by 7 basis points. UBS Securities said this is critical as Wells Fargo (WFC) missed on this front, and a differentiated path on deposit rates could be a breakout catalyst for Bank of America.
Investment banking fee of $1.84 billion was in line with consensus and did not have the "beat factor" seen at Goldman Sachs (GS) and JPMorgan (JPM), with advisory, equity capital markets, and debt capital markets all coming in line, according to the note.
Q1 pre-provision net revenue beat of 4% may not be as notable as at Citi (C), JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs, the brokerage said in a Wednesday note. However, it is meaningful for a stock with an undemanding valuation. This is especially as expenses fell in line with guidance and the company generated 290 basis points of year-over-year operating leverage.
UBS said guidance by the bank is "critical for share performance".
The firm has a buy rating on Bank of America with a price target of $62.
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