Topic: How To Invest

Dividend Advisor Hotline – Friday, January 24, 2025

Article Excerpt

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO., $264.84, New York symbol JPM, is a buy. Morgan is the largest banking firm in the U.S., with total assets of $4.00 trillion as of December 31, 2024. With the October 2024, payment, Morgan increased your quarterly dividend by 8.7%, to $1.25 a share from $1.15. The new annual rate of $5.00 yields 1.9%. In the three months ended December 31, 2024, Morgan’s earnings soared 54.1%, to $13.67 billion from $8.87 billion a year earlier. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings rose at a faster rate of 58.2%, to $4.11 from $3.04. That topped the consensus estimate of $4.11. The big earnings gain is partly because the year-earlier quarter included a $2.9 billion payment to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to replenish losses from a fund that helped uninsured depositors of failed regional banks. As well, Morgan set aside $2.63 billion to cover potential loan losses. That’s down 4.7% from $2.76 billion a year earlier as lower provisions…