Both will rise on falling interest rates

Article Excerpt

In response to rising inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Federal Reserve increased its benchmark interest rate from 0.25% in March 2022 to 5.25% in July 2023. The hike has helped cut the inflation rate from 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.2% in October 2023. It now looks like interest rates will slowly come down in 2024. That’s good news for these two big banks: the lower rates will let them put aside fewer funds for potential loan losses, thereby boosting their earnings. What’s more, both banks remain well capitalized, which will let them keep raising their dividends. J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $153 is a buy. The bank (New York symbol JPM; Income Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 2.9 billion; Market cap: $443.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 2.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $3.90 trillion as of September 30, 2023. Despite the pandemic, Morgan’s revenue rose 18.3%,…