Big banks keep cutting their risk

Article Excerpt

These two leading banks have recovered strongly from the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Their healthier balance sheets and tighter lending policies have also lowered the risk of future writedowns. We feel J.P. Morgan is the better choice right now. WELLS FARGO & CO. $34 (New York symbol WFC; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 5.3 billion; Market cap: $180.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.wellsfargo.com) earned $4.9 billion, or $0.88 a share, in the three months ended September 30, 2012. That’s up 21.7% from $4.1 billion, or $0.72 a share, a year earlier. The bank continues to do a good job of adjusting the terms of troubled loans it acquired when it bought rival banking firm Wachovia in 2008. In the latest quarter, it set aside $1.6 billion to cover bad loans, down 12.1% from $1.8 billion a year ago. Revenue rose 8.0%, to $21.2 billion from $19.6 billion. Low interest rates continue to encourage businesses and consumers…