The largest banks in the United States reported blockbuster second-quarter results after the pandemic loan losses didn’t happen and the US economy began roaring back to life. Moreover, the banks’ stock also significantly recovered since the beginning of the year, rising high above the pre-pandemic levels.
According to data presented by BuyShares, the combined market cap of JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup, as the five largest banks in the United States, jumped to nearly $1.4trn last week, showing a massive 80% increase year-over-year.
Double-Digit Growth After Hard 2020
There are several reasons why the US banks have outperformed the analysts’ estimates and turned 2021 into a year of significant recovery. First, consumer spending in the country has climbed significantly, in some sectors even beyond pre-COVID-19 levels. Second, credit quality has also improved while savings and investments have risen. Moreover, a national vaccination roll-out has allowed Americans to get back to work and start spending again.
These circumstances had a major influence on banks’ profitability driving their stock price to new all-time highs. For example, according to YCharts data, the market cap of JP Morgan Chase, as the largest bank in the United States and globally, jumped by $205bn in the last year.
In September 2020, the combined value of shares of the US megabank stood at $293.5bn. Over the next six months, this figure jumped to $465bn and continued rising. Statistics show that JP Morgan Chase’s market cap hit nearly $500bn last week, a massive 70% increase compared to January figures.
Bank of America, as the second-largest bank by market cap, witnessed even bigger growth. Over the last twelve months, the combined value of shares of the US multinational investment bank surged by $153.8bn or 73%, reaching $362.5bn last week.
Still, that was nothing compared to the stock price growth of Wells Fargo, which market cap almost doubled in this period. In September 2020, the combined value of shares of the third-largest US bank stood at $97.2bn. Statistics show this figure surged by 98% since then and hit $193bn last week.
Morgan Stanley’s Market Cap Soared by 153% YoY, the Biggest Increase Among the Top Five Banks
Although far behind the top three US banks in terms of market cap, Morgan Stanley witnessed the biggest stock price growth last year. In September 2020, the combined value of shares of the New York-based financial services corporation stood at $74.5bn. By the end of the year, this figure jumped by 55% to $115.7bn.
However, 2021 witnessed even more impressive growth. Statistics show that over the last ten months, the market cap of the fourth-largest bank in the United States surged by another $73bn and hit over $188bn last week, revealing an impressive 153% increase year-over-year.
The YCharts data revealed that Citigroup witnessed a 54% market cap growth in this period, the smallest among the top five US banks. Between January and October, the combined value of shares of the US bank jumped by $51bn or 54%, reaching $144.3bn last week.