Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat. I have held Bank of America for a number of years and have a profit of over 50%. Do you see a further increase in value of this stock in the future? Also, I hear that Warren Buffett is buying more shares. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Bank of America, $24.89, symbol BAC on New York (Shares outstanding: 10.6 billion; Market cap: $260.6 billion, www.bankofamerica.com), has moved up since November 2016, along with many other U.S. bank stocks. Those gains are partly because the Trump administration has pledged to reduce some of the previous administration’s banking regulations. Spending less on compliance would free up more cash for dividends and share buybacks. As well, the U.S. Federal Reserve has so far raised its benchmark interest rate twice this year. With a stronger economy, it likely plans more rate hikes. That will let banks earn higher interest income on new mortgages, and car and credit card loans. While Bank of America should gain from higher interest rates, its underlying revenue is growing only slowly. If rates don’t rise as expected, the bank’s results could weaken. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought $5 billion of Bank of America preferred stock with a 6% dividend, or $300 million annually. That was in August 2011, when…