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JPMORGAN CHASE & CO (JPM)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- EPS of $5.07 beat S&P Global consensus ($4.65), while revenue was below S&P consensus (actual $42.01B vs $44.10B) in Q1 2025; firm-reported net revenue was $45.31B (managed $46.01B) and net income $14.64B . EPS/revenue consensus figures from S&P Global; see Estimates Context section for details.*
- Markets delivered an exceptionally strong quarter with $9.7B revenue and record Equities; CIB net revenue rose 12% YoY to $19.7B on higher principal transactions and fees .
- Management raised firm-wide NII outlook to ~$94.5B and maintained NII ex-Markets at ~$90B; adjusted expense outlook remains ~$95B; card NCO guidance ~3.6% unchanged .
- Elevated macro uncertainty (tariffs/geopolitics) drove a $973M net reserve build (weighted-average unemployment embedded 5.8%); consumer credit is normalizing (card losses seasoning) but performance remains broadly in line with expectations .
- Capital return accelerated: $7.1B net buybacks and the common dividend was increased 12% to $1.40; CET1 remained strong at 15.4% (Std.), SLR 6.0% .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record Equities and strong Markets: Markets revenue $9.7B (+21% YoY), Equities $3.8B (+48% YoY), Fixed Income $5.8B (+8% YoY) .
- CIB revival: Investment banking fees $2.25B with strength in debt underwriting and advisory; total CIB net income $6.94B (+5% YoY) .
- Strategic capital return: $7.1B of net repurchases; dividend increased to $1.40, supported by elevated capital levels and liquidity (“$1.5T of cash and marketable securities”) .
Management quotes:
- “Markets revenue rose to $9.7 billion, an exceptionally strong quarter with record revenue in Equities.” — Jamie Dimon .
- “We continue to believe it is prudent to maintain excess capital and ample liquidity… CET1 ratio remained very strong at 15.4%, and we have an extraordinary amount of liquidity, with $1.5 trillion of cash and marketable securities.” — Jamie Dimon .
What Went Wrong
- Reserve build and credit normalization: Provision $3.31B with $973M net reserve build, largely due to macro scenario weights; card net charge-offs rose $275M YoY on seasoning of recent vintages .
- Deposit margin compression: NII ex-Markets down 2% YoY; deposit margins pressured in CCB and Payments, partially offset by higher wholesale balances .
- CIB outlook caution: Management flagged “wait-and-see” among corporate clients amid tariff/geopolitical uncertainty, potentially tempering IB pipeline conversion near term .
Financial Results
Segment performance (Managed basis):
Key KPIs:
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Prepared remarks highlighted strength and caution: “We reported strong underlying business and financial results… Markets revenue rose to $9.7 billion… In CCB, opening 500,000 net new checking accounts; AWM had healthy AUM net inflows of $90 billion.” — Jamie Dimon .
- On reserves and macro: “We increased probability weightings associated with downside scenarios… weighted average unemployment embedded in our allowance is 5.8%, driving the $973 million increase.” — Jeremy Barnum .
- On investment and capital: “Investments in banks, branches, technology, AI will continue regardless of the environment… we like having excess capital to serve clients through storms.” — Jamie Dimon .
Q&A Highlights
- Macro/clients: Corporate clients are focused on supply-chain optimization and tariff responses; cautious pipeline conversion; consumers display front-loaded spending ahead of price increases .
- Reserves: Increase driven by scenario weighting, not actual performance deterioration; consumer reserve build $441M; wholesale $549M .
- NII trajectory: Lower front-end rates a headwind, but offsets from balances and beta; NII ex-Markets outlook unchanged at ~$90B .
- Capital deployment: Continued investment agenda; preference for holding excess capital given turbulence, while maintaining buybacks flexibility .
- Treasury market functioning/regulatory reform: Advocacy for holistic reforms (SLR, LCR, CCAR, GSIB) to improve market intermediation; Fed would step in during stress as before .
Estimates Context
Consensus vs actual (S&P Global):
- EPS beat all three quarters; revenue below consensus all three quarters (S&P Global). Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Where estimates may adjust:
- Strong Markets/Equities performance and raised firm-wide NII outlook point to upward revisions for CIB revenue/NII lines .
- Elevated reserve build and continued card loss normalization may temper near-term EPS lift despite topline strengths .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Resilient earnings power with strong Markets ($9.7B) and CIB momentum; Equities leadership is a near-term support amid volatility .
- Core banking margins face deposit compression; offsets from higher wholesale balances, card revolving balances, and AWM fee growth .
- Credit normalization is orderly; reserve build driven by scenario weighting, not performance deterioration; watch card loss trajectory as macro evolves .
- Capital return accelerating (dividend hike, buybacks) with fortress capital (CET1 15.4%, SLR 6.0%); provides downside cushion and optionality .
- Guidance: Raised firm-wide NII to ~$94.5B; maintained NII ex-Markets ~$90B and expense ~$95B; supports mid-teens ROE amid uncertainty .
- Near-term trading implication: EPS beats vs consensus but top-line prints vs S&P revenue consensus remain mixed; the narrative catalyst is Markets strength vs macro caution—expect estimate dispersion across segments.*
- Medium-term thesis: structural advantages (scale, diversified earnings, technology investment) underpin superior ROTCE and capital flexibility through cycles .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*