We recently compiled a list of the 9 Best Financial Services Stocks To Buy Now.In this article, we are going to take a look at where Bank Of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) stands against the other financial services stocks.
Although there was significant turbulence in the financial markets in August, the state of global financing is still stable. Despite considerable falls in the equities and corporate debt markets, financing conditions have not tightened significantly, suggesting borrowing resilience.
However, following an almost 10% drop, the broad US stock market is still 5% below its peak in July. Similar declines have been seen in European stocks, although there has been some recovery in these markets; the 500 large companies market is up 3% from its August low.
The markets for corporate bonds have also been impacted. Higher-rated corporate bonds saw an increase in risk premiums, but not to the point where it materially affected borrowing conditions. The current market volatility, according to Chris Jeffrey of Legal & General Investment Management, hasn’t affected corporate or household finance conditions significantly. This perspective is supported by the financial conditions index of a major global financial institution, which indicates that while circumstances have tightened since mid-July, they are still historically loose and more accommodating than they were for a large portion of the prior year.
Amidst the financial turbulence, the financial services industry has faced challenges, but it also showed resilience. The long-term outlook for the industry remains positive. As we have mentioned in our article, “25 Biggest Financial Firms in the World,” the financial services industry is expected to rise at a CAGR of 7.7% over the next few years, from $31138.82 billion in 2023 to $33539.52 billion in 2024. In 2023, Western Europe accounted for the largest portion of the financial services market, with North America coming in second. Financial services are transforming as a result of generative AI, which presents chances for creativity and efficiency.
Advertisement
The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) claims that banks are racing to implement Gen AI and that its full potential can be realized with the correct operational model in place. According to MGI, the use of Gen AI in the global banking market has the potential to generate value of $200 billion to $340 billion per year, or 2.8 to 4.7 percent of industry revenues, primarily through increased productivity. A new study by MGI examined the usage of Gen AI by 16 of the largest financial institutions in the US and Europe, which together manage assets worth close to $26 trillion. According to the study, more than half of the organizations examined have embraced a more centrally driven structure for next-generation AI, even if their current data and analytics architecture is relatively decentralized. Moreover, artificial intelligence, according to EY, is changing financial markets by improving risk management and enhancing customer experience due to its wide range of uses.
The RSM US’s Financial Services Industry Outlook 2024, also notes that the financial services market is quickly evolving, with a focus on responsible AI in insurance. Similar actions are being taken by states as well. For instance, insurance companies are required by the California Consumer Privacy Act to explain how AI is used in pricing and coverage decisions; violation carries hefty fines. Secondly, the number of retail-friendly investment products is also increasing. Retail investors are the focus of growing interest from asset managers, exchanges, and broker-dealers. Finally, the real exposure of financial institutions to CRE maturities is another trend in the financial services industry. Hence, financial institutions analyzing CRE-related risk should conduct a thorough credit risk evaluation.
Methodology:
We sifted through holdings of financial services ETFs and financial media to form an initial list of 20 financial services stocks. Then we selected the 9 stocks that had the highest upside potential. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the upside potential.
Some big shots in the financial services industry have been left out owing to our methodology since they had negative consensus upside.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here)
Advertisement
A professional banker providing consultation to a customer in the security of his office.
Bank Of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC)
Analysts’ Upside Potential: 9.22%
In terms of total assets, Bank of America is the second-biggest commercial bank in the US. Boasting a significant retail banking presence throughout all major U.S. regions, Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) provides services to about 69 million individual and small business customers.
BAC has created a strong brand presence and ease of use for its customers with about 3,800 retail financial locations, 15,000 ATMs, and top digital banking systems. The digital platforms of the bank boast an approximate user base of 46 million, comprising 38 million active mobile users. This suggests that the bank has effectively shifted to digital banking and is capable of meeting the changing demands of its clientele.
Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, Global Markets, and Consumer Banking are BAC’s four primary business segments. By diversifying its business, BAC is able to provide a broad range of banking and nonbank financial services and products while reducing the risk of market and industry-specific downturns.
Bank of America has put in place initiatives that help both customers and staff. The most sophisticated and first publicly accessible virtual financial assistant, Erica, was introduced in 2024 and as of 2024, more than two billion clients had engaged with them. Erica’s skills assist corporate and individual clients throughout the company, including CashPro, Benefits, and Merrill.
Advertisement
BAC raised its minimum hourly wage to $23 in September 2023, with intentions to raise it to $25 by 2025.
Strong performance in the investment banking segment and solid net interest income helped Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) submit an earnings report card for the second fiscal quarter that was better than anticipated. The price of the shares increased by over 5% as a result of the earnings report, reaching a high not seen since the start of FY 2022.
In general, Bank of America’s robust revenue from trading and investment banking, along with a favorable projection for net interest income, points to the company’s durability and growth potential even in an environment where the fed is trying to curtail inflation. However, increased deposit costs and growing provisions for credit losses are eating into profitability.
ClearBridge Value Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:
“We added several new positions during the quarter. Our largest new addition was Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving some 66 million consumer and small business clients across the U.S. as well as large corporations, financial institutions and governments globally. We believe that the interest rate pressure that Bank of America faced in early 2023 has subsided, and risks surrounding deposit outflows have abated, which should allow the company to improve its book value and capital growth as well as benefit from a rebound of capital markets activity.”
BAC is one of the Best Financial Services Stocks To Buy Now since it has promising growth potential, as seen by 19 analysts, BAC has a consensus Buy rating with an average price target of $42.39 and an upside potential of 9.22% from the current stock price of $38.81.
Advertisement
Overall BAC ranks 7th on our list of the best financial services stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of BAC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BAC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT:$30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Consumer confidence has plunged among traditionally optimistic younger adults amid fears for their personal finances and the wider economy, figures show.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index remained unchanged at an overall score of minus 23 in June.
However, the analyst said this was was “misleading as, beneath the surface, there are new signs that confidence is weakening”.
Source: GfK
Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, said: “The biggest fall this month is among those aged 16 to 29, traditionally one of the most optimistic groups.
“Here confidence has dropped 11 points over the past month to minus two, the lowest level seen for two years, driven by large falls in views on both their own personal finances and the wider economy.
Advertisement
“More broadly, there are now no demographic groups with a positive confidence score, including higher-income households earning £50,000 or more, who have slipped back into negative territory as of June.
“Confidence remains subdued and vulnerable to further economic or political uncertainty.”
Sourve: GfK
Overall, confidence in personal finances over the coming year remained flat at minus two, four points lower than this time last year.
The measures of both personal finances and the economy over the previous 12 months were both slightly down, by two points and three points respectively, “reflecting the sense that things have been extremely tough over the last year for so many”, GfK said.
The only measure to increase was expectations for the wider economy over the next 12 months, up two points to minus 36 but still eight points below this time last year.
The major purchase index, an indicator of confidence in buying big ticket items, remained at minus 20, four points lower than June last year.
“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” said Donald Trump on social media after he announced the signing of an interim peace deal with Iran on Sunday. Under the agreement – which Iran acknowledged included a 60-day negotiating period for a final deal – the president said that following retrieval of mines, there would be a “toll free opening” of the Strait of Hormuz.
But many of the finer details remain “unclear”, said The Guardian. There are questions over the “exact timing of the reopening of the maritime route, who will oversee safe passage and whether any conditions will be applied”.
Financial markets have welcomed the announcement, but further volatility could yet hit people’s pockets.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Advertisement
Sign up for The Week’s Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Latest Videos From
Have oil prices changed?
The price of oil fell to about $83 (£62) per barrel following Sunday’s announcement, its “lowest since the early days of the war”. Then on Tuesday it dipped below $80. In February, before the first missiles struck Iran, each barrel cost around $73. The price peaked at around $120 at the height of the conflict.
Prices are expected to fall in the wake of a prolonged ceasefire, and there are “real grounds for optimism”, said Politico. Damage to oil-specific infrastructure has been “limited”, meaning it could take “as little as six weeks to resume outflows”.
“So that’s the energy crisis sorted, right?” Not so fast.” A combination of damage to wider infrastructure and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has meant roughly 12 million fewer barrels of oil have been produced each day. And they “won’t magically reappear on the market even if the pact holds”.
Advertisement
Will this continue?
The “first big test” of the deal will be whether shipping companies will have enough “confidence” to return the use of the strait to pre-war levels, said The New York Times. If successful, this will free the 250 tankers and 330 cargo ships trapped in the Gulf, according to the BBC, and transport oil around the world. Oil and gas producers in the Gulf nations would then need to re-establish “wells, refineries and other infrastructure”.
Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of
The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories – plus daily puzzles.
Even if all of that were to materialise, European and Asian countries who have historically depended on oil from the region “will face a long wait”. Processing oil takes considerable time. “It is unlikely that the prices of gasoline, diesel and other fuels will return to pre-war levels anytime soon.”
What about inflation?
Despite air fares “surging” and fuel costs “tipping higher”, UK inflation remained at 2.8% in May, said The Independent. This was a “surprise” to economists, who had widely predicted a rise to 3% and “perhaps even beyond” due in part to the war in Iran.
Remaining at this level could imply that the “cost-of-living squeeze will not play out as badly as had been anticipated” earlier this year, even if the “Iran war sent energy costs spiralling”. However, prices are set to rise again later in 2026, leaving savers to make sure their investments are earning an interest rate “well above the rate of inflation”.
Advertisement
What does this mean for consumers?
Food prices in the UK look to be rising more slowly. Should the Strait of Hormuz open freely, fertiliser, which has “soared in costs” and put pressure on farmers, could fall substantially, said the BBC. Jet fuel has already seen a “small fall in price”, with Northwest Europe jet fuel trading at $1,033 (£780) per tonne, compared with $831 pre-conflict and around $1,840 at its peak.
How will businesses be affected?
Beneath the “encouraging headlines” about inflation control, there is a “hidden crisis for businesses”, said The Telegraph. The Iran war triggered one of the largest energy shocks in history, meaning businesses were “swallowing soaring costs to spare shoppers”.
“Input rises” for producers climbed by “8.7% year on year in May”, larger than the 7.9% in April and the highest in more than three years. On the bright side, this means the economy may avoid a dreaded “wage-price spiral”, but conversely lower margins could lead to increased pressure on the employment market.
Hong Kong graduates believe the city’s finance industry is its most attractive and stable sector, making them more optimistic about career opportunities than their global peers, according to a study by the CFA Institute, which trains investment managers.
The US-based institute’s “2026 Graduate Outlook Survey”, released on Wednesday, found that 71 per cent of Hong Kong graduates rated their career prospects between eight and 10 out of 10. The global average for that level of optimism was 59 per cent.
The graduates’ view of careers in finance reflected “both the sector’s resilience and Hong Kong’s continued strength as an international financial centre, which ranks third worldwide and first in Asia-Pacific”, the institute said in a statement.
The findings also indicated that young people were confident about Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre, resilient amid global uncertainties, and strategically focused on improving skills, it said.
That confidence was “deeply grounded”, it said, with nearly 90 per cent believing they had the skills to succeed and clearly understood what employers were looking for, notwithstanding the wider adoption of artificial intelligence in the city.
“Rather than viewing AI as a threat, 38 per cent of Hong Kong graduates believe it has no negative impact on their job hunting, and 37 per cent believe it makes securing a job easier,” the institute said. “Three quarters are already actively using AI tools in their job applications, demonstrating a proactive, tool-first mindset.”
