Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) Stock Now Rated "Moderate Buy" by Sell-Side Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a Moderate Buy consensus on Bank of America, with 18 buy ratings and six holds among 24 analysts. The average 12-month price target is $62.82, although several firms recently reduced their targets.
• Bank of America’s latest quarter fell slightly short of expectations, reporting $1.08 in EPS versus $1.10 expected and $29.96 billion in revenue versus $30.58 billion forecast. Revenue nevertheless increased 3.2% year over year.
• The bank declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, equivalent to $1.28 annually and a roughly 2.5% yield. Institutional investors own approximately 70.7% of the company, while recent legal and regulatory concerns add risk.

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-four analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eighteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $62.82.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on BAC shares. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Bank of America from $70.00 to $67.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $72.00 to $68.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $69.00 to $64.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Bank of America from $68.00 to $62.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 2nd.

Bank of America Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:BAC opened at $51.03 on Friday. Bank of America has a 1-year low of $46.12 and a 1-year high of $65.22. The business's 50-day moving average price is $57.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $56.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $356.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.12, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.21.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $29.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.58 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 12.15% and a net margin of 16.80%. Bank of America's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.06 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Bank of America will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 4th. Bank of America's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.40%.

Institutional Trading of Bank of America

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BAC. Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 483,901 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,317 shares during the period. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Bank of America by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 72,257 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,933,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. BRIA Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 49.1% during the 3rd quarter. BRIA Capital Group LLC now owns 18,564 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,010,000 after buying an additional 6,113 shares during the period. XXI Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. XXI Wealth LLC now owns 17,242 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $938,000 after buying an additional 2,412 shares during the period. Finally, BIP Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Bank of America by 2.6% in the third quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 37,346 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,033,000 after buying an additional 930 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.71% of the company's stock.

Key Bank of America News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, payable December 24 to shareholders of record on December 4. The annualized payout is $1.28 per share, providing an approximately 2.5% yield and signaling continued capital-return capacity. Bank of America Declares Fourth Quarter 2026 Stock Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: The bank appointed Jim Fitterling and Bill Thomas to its board, expanding the board from 12 to 14 directors. The additions may strengthen industry expertise, but their near-term effect on earnings or valuation is unclear. Bank of America Names Jim Fitterling and Bill Thomas to Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America’s wealth-management business remains a strategic strength, with Global Wealth and Investment Management contributing roughly 16% of group earnings in the second quarter. That diversification could support the stock over time, although results remain sensitive to market levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a securities class action against Bank of America and certain executives. The claims reportedly relate to alleged securities-law violations surrounding a roughly $1.2 billion Treasury penalty for anti-money-laundering violations. The repeated announcements are largely duplicative, but they increase reputational risk and could lead to litigation costs or additional regulatory scrutiny. BAC Investor Alert and Securities Class Action
• Negative Sentiment: Leadership concerns are also emerging, with commentary questioning CEO Brian Moynihan’s position following disappointing quarterly results and the Treasury fine. Bank of America previously missed consensus estimates for both earnings per share and revenue, adding to investor caution about profitability and execution.

About Bank of America

Bank of America Corporation NYSE: BAC is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It provides banking, lending, investment, payments and financial management services to consumers, businesses, institutional investors and governments.

The company's consumer banking operations offer checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, home equity lending, auto loans and other consumer financial products. Through Merrill, Bank of America provides wealth management, investment advisory, brokerage and retirement services.

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