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Strength Seen in Bank of America (BAC): Can Its 5.9% Jump Turn into More Strength?

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Bank of America (BAC - Free Report) shares soared 5.9% in the last trading session to close at $33.94. The move was backed by solid volume with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This compares to the stock's 8.2% gain over the past four weeks.

Shares of Bank of America rallied for the second consecutive day. The Federal Reserve signaled end of the current rate cycle and kept the interest rates unchanged at 22-year high of 5.25-5.5% at the end of two-day FOMC meeting. The central bank also indicated three interest rate cuts by 2024-end.

These developments turned investor sentiments bullish on bank stocks as high funding costs being faced by the industry players will somewhat come down next year. This will support net interest income and margin growth. Hence, the BAC stock moved higher.

This nation's second-largest bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.71 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -16.5%. Revenues are expected to be $24.11 billion, down 1.7% from the year-ago quarter.

While earnings and revenue growth expectations are important in evaluating the potential strength in a stock, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

For Bank of America, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.9% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. And a negative trend in earnings estimate revisions doesn't usually translate into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on BAC going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

Bank of America is part of the Zacks Banks - Major Regional industry. Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, closed the last trading session 3.7% higher at $85.93. NTRS has returned 10.6% in the past month.

For Northern Trust Corporation, the consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at $1.24. This represents a change of -24.9% from what the company reported a year ago. Northern Trust Corporation currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).


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