Lower rates are good news for these banks

Article Excerpt

It now looks like the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate in the next few months. Lower rates would ease the pressure on borrowers looking to renew mortgages and other loans at these two leading U.S. banks. They will also have to pay out less to attract depositors. These two factors should lead to more dividend hikes. J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $209 is a buy. The bank (New York symbol JPM; Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 2.9 billion; Market cap: $606.1 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.jpmorganchase.com) is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $4.14 trillion as of June 30, 2024. The bank recently passed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest annual stress test, which measures how financial firms would cope with a jump in unemployment, falling stock prices and other unfavourable developments. As a result, Morgan plans to raise your quarterly dividend by 8.7%, to $1.25 a share from $1.15, in the…