Top U.S. bank poised for more dividend hikes

Article Excerpt

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $110 (New York symbol JPM; Conservative Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 3.4 billion; Market cap: $374.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $2.6 trillion as of March 31, 2018. The bank last raised its quarterly dividend by 12.0% with the October 2017 payment, to $0.56 a share from $0.50. The new annual rate of $2.24 yields 2.0%. Wide variety of businesses a plus Morgan has four main businesses: Consumer and Community Banking, including branches and credit cards (45% of 2017 revenue, 36% of earnings); Corporate and Investment Banking, including brokerage and underwriting services (34%, 41%); Asset Management (13%, 9%); and Commercial Banking, which provides financing and other services to business clients (8%, 14%). About 75% of Morgan’s revenue comes from the U.S. The bank’s overall revenue fell 3.9%, from $97.4 billion in 2013 to $93.5 billion in 2015. Revenue improved to $95.7 billion in…