Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Stock Price Up 1.2% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) shot up 1.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $53.61 and last traded at $53.3850. 30,694,791 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 23% from the average session volume of 40,021,355 shares. The stock had previously closed at $52.74.

Bank of America News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Bank of America this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launching a no‑fee, expanded loyalty program that will make more than 30 million clients newly eligible — widens cross‑sell opportunity for credit cards, banking and Merrill investing relationships, which can boost fee income and customer retention. New BofA Rewards™ Program to Reach Millions More Clients with Expanded Benefits
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America Private Bank launched an art consulting service for wealthy clients — a fee‑generating advisory product that can support higher‑margin client relationships and increase demand for art‑backed lending. Bank of America Launches Art Consulting Service
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed an EPS beat and double‑digit revenue growth year‑over‑year, supporting the bank’s earnings momentum and valuation multiple (PE ~13.9) — a fundamental underpinning for the stock’s strength.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces and dividend commentary (e.g., Zacks) highlight BAC’s yield and payout profile for income investors, which sustains interest but is not a near‑term catalyst. Bank of America (BAC) Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America’s market research (fund manager surveys) is getting attention for insights on AI and capex; interesting for macro positioning but indirectly relevant to BAC’s stock. AI Spending Bubble Fear Just Hit An All-Time High, BofA Survey Shows
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America crossed a disclosure threshold by lifting a stake in Galapagos above 5% — a portfolio move that’s informational but not a direct driver for BAC’s share price. Bank of America Lifts Stake in Galapagos Above 5% Transparency Threshold
• Negative Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway trimmed its stake in Bank of America, which can be interpreted as a signal that a major investor is reducing exposure and may add downward pressure or investor caution. Berkshire Pares Stakes in Apple and BofA, Adds New York Times Position
• Negative Sentiment: CEO compensation rose following earnings growth — a governance item that may draw investor scrutiny and temper sentiment for some shareholders. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan sees compensation rise following earnings growth

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BAC shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Bank of America from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Bank of America from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Bank of America from $68.00 to $64.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Phillip Securities lifted their target price on Bank of America from $50.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Argus boosted their target price on Bank of America from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.30.

Bank of America Stock Up 1.2%

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $389.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $4.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.73 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 16.23%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.82 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Bank of America Corporation will post 3.7 EPS for the current year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Bank of America’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.

Institutional Trading of Bank of America

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 108,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,785,000 after buying an additional 25,143 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Bank of America by 40.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 21,401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,013,000 after acquiring an additional 6,174 shares during the last quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Bank of America by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,476 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $590,000 after acquiring an additional 701 shares during the period. Balboa Wealth Partners bought a new position in shares of Bank of America in the 2nd quarter worth about $385,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Bank of America by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.71% of the company’s stock.

About Bank of America

Bank of America Corporation is a multinational financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It provides a broad array of banking, investment, asset management and related financial and risk management products and services to individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, governments and institutional investors. The firm operates through consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking and markets businesses, offering capabilities across lending, deposits, payments, advisory and capital markets.

Its consumer-facing offerings include checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity lending, auto loans, credit cards and small business banking, supported by a nationwide branch network and digital channels.