TARP repayment triggers charge

Article Excerpt

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $33 (New York symbol JPM; Income Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 3.8 billion; Market cap: $125.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; WSSF Rating: Average) has bought back the $25 billion in preferred shares that it sold to the U.S. Treasury under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) last year. The bank expects to record a $1.1-billion charge in the second quarter of 2009 in connection with the early repayment. (It earned $2.1 billion, or $0.40 a share, in the first quarter.) However, lowering government control improves Morgan’s prospects. J.P. Morgan Chase is a buy. buy…