Osterweis Capital Management Inc. Makes New $7.31 Million Investment in Bank of America Corporation $BAC

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 128,256 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $7,308,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in BAC. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new stake in Bank of America in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Bank of America in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 70.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bank of America Stock Performance

NYSE BAC opened at $61.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $427.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.03, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Bank of America Corporation has a 12-month low of $46.12 and a 12-month high of $65.22.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.08. Bank of America had a net margin of 17.56% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The firm had revenue of $31.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Bank of America Corporation will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank of America Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Bank of America’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Bank of America’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.69%.

Key Stories Impacting Bank of America

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America’s AI initiatives, including branch expansion and automation, may improve operating efficiency and customer service over time. However, continued expense growth could limit the near-term benefit. Should You Buy BAC Stock as AI-Led Branch Expansion Boosts Efficiency?
• Positive Sentiment: BofA Securities continues to demonstrate a constructive view on major growth and technology markets, reiterating Buy ratings on Alibaba, Nvidia, Prudential and Elbit Systems. The activity supports the visibility of BAC’s investment-banking and research franchise, although it has limited direct impact on earnings. Alibaba Raises $10 Billion for AI — Why BofA Is Looking Past the Dilution
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America issued several senior unsecured notes in August, with maturities extending from 2029 to 2046. The issuance supports liquidity and funding flexibility, but adds to interest obligations and offers no immediate change to the company’s earnings outlook. What Bank of America (BAC)’s New Debt Issuance and AI Credit Research Push Means For Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: The SEC reportedly subpoenaed Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Citigroup regarding margin lending to hedge fund Situational Awareness, which suffered a 67% drawdown during an AI-stock sell-off. The investigation raises potential legal, compliance and credit-loss risks, particularly if leveraged clients cannot meet obligations. SEC Probe Puts Wall Street Leverage Risk Back in Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Persistent operating-cost pressure remains a concern for BAC investors. While AI and branch expansion could boost productivity, elevated expenses may weigh on margins and reduce the benefit of the bank’s recent revenue growth.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $67.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Evercore set a $63.00 price target on shares of Bank of America and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Bank of America from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bank of America in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on Bank of America from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $64.08.

Bank of America Company Profile

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.