Investment banks are struggling in a high-interest-rate world

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The past three years have been an interesting test of how successful bank bosses have been in their efforts to balance their businesses’ performance

profits: a steady stream of income they can count on, quarter after quarter. The earnings America’s biggest banks make, however, are often pushed around by theof the economy they serve. If the economy accelerates, demand for loans takes off; if it slows, bankers must set aside provisions for bad loans. Investment banks’ trading businesses tend to do well in times of volatility and uncertainty, but their advisory services sell best when markets are healthy and stable.

The past three years, in which the American economy has experienced a pandemic-induced shutdown, a financial boom and a rate shock, have been unusually volatile. As a result, the period has been an interesting test of how successful bank bosses have been in their efforts to balance their businesses’ performance.

Altogether profits at the six banks fell by 20% from $34bn in the fourth quarter of 2021 to around $27bn in the same period of 2022—but the pain was not evenly spread. Earnings at JPMorgan and Bank of America were up a little. Meanwhile, at Goldman Sachs they were down by two-thirds. Some of this divergence can be explained by their different strengths. Firms with big consumer banks, such as Bank of America and JPMorgan, typically do well when interest rates jump.

This increase is partly offset by the fact that higher interest rates will make it harder for consumers and companies to pay back debts. Banks also set aside some $7.2bn for loan losses in the fourth quarter of 2022. Jamie Dimon, boss of JPMorgan, and Brian Moynihan, boss of Bank of America, both predicted a mild recession in America this year. Yet the net effect of higher interest rates on profits remains positive for now.

Investment-bank revenues, which slump when stockmarkets do badly, dropped by around 50% at Goldman and Morgan Stanley. But divergence in profits cannot simply be explained by the differing performance of investment and consumer banks. For one thing, profits at Morgan Stanley, where non-investment-bank businesses still did well, dropped far less sharply than at Goldman.

 

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Too many businesses have a lack of cash flow, taking most profits to pay dividends and keeping the share price high, so look towards outside investment for growth, with high interest rates this gives less margin to like of GS, but it’s their own doing

'High' interest? I'm into a number of decades now and even I have a long enough memory to know current rates seem a bargain in comparison

Aw, what a shame...

My heart bleeds for the poverty stricken trillionaires.

Warned....

TAXING THEY ASSES

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