(By Balaseshan) Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings on improved credit quality across most major portfolios, higher mortgage banking income and increased investment banking income.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank reported a profit of $340 million or break even per share, down from $6.23 billion or $0.56 per share in the year-ago quarter.
The latest quarter was negatively impacted by $1.9 billion of valuation adjustments for improvement in credit spreads, $1.6 billion for total litigation expense including Merrill Lynch class action settlement, and a charge of $0.8 billion related to reduction in the U.K. corporate tax rate. These 3 items totaled a negative $0.28 per share.
Total revenue plunged 28 percent to $20.66 billion, driven largely by negative fair value option (FVO) adjustments and net debit valuation adjustments (DVA) losses. Excluding the impact of DVA and FVO adjustments, revenue, net of interest expense, was $22.5 billion.
Net interest income on a fully taxable-equivalent (FTE) declined 5 percent as lower consumer loan balances were partially offset by ongoing reductions in long-term debt balances and lower rates paid on deposits.
Noninterest income dropped 41.6 percent, driven largely by negative DVA and FVO adjustments and lower equity investment income.
Analysts, on average, polled by Thomson Reuters expected the bank to report a loss of 7 cents a share on lower revenue of 23.10 percent to $21.89 billion.
Provision for credit losses was $1.8 billion in both the third and second quarters of 2012 and $3.4 billion in the previous year quarter.
In the previous quarter, the bank reported earnings of 19 cents a share on revenue of $22.20 billion.
As of September 30, 2012, BAC's Basel 3 Tier 1 common capital ratio on a fully phased-in basis was estimated at 8.97 percent, up from 7.95 percent at June 30, 2012.
BAC shares, which have been trading in the 52-week range between $4.92 and $10.10, ended Tuesday's regular trading at $9.46.