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Banks have been going on a dividend spree after sailing through the Federal Reserve’s latest stress test. Major banks rushed to announce increased dividends and buyback programs after acing the Fed’s latest test of their financial health. JPMorgan Chase Morgan Stanley Citigroup and Goldman Sachs all announced divided increases, while JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley also detailed new buyback initiatives.

JPMorgan and Bank of America passed the tests with flying colors after the Federal Reserve last year began releasing details of the tests in advance.

(Bloomberg) -- All of the biggest US banks cleared the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test, setting the stage for lenders to boost buybacks and dividends. Most Read from BloombergInvestor Who Scored 900% Win in 2008 Crisis Has New Big Short BetStocks Slide as Wall Street Gets AI Wake-Up Call: Markets WrapOracle Cut 21,000 Jobs in 12 Months, Says AI Replaced Some RolesChipmakers Fall Anew in Run-Up to Micron’s Results: Markets WrapThe Debasement Trade Is Unraveling and Kevin Warsh Is One Big Rea

Would rising rates change the calculus for the big banks?

Bank of America has predicted that the Federal Reserve will be forced to raise interest rates by 75 basis points this year, with the first 25-basis-point hike in September. They also see additional 25-basis-point hikes in October and December. The energy shock from the war with Iran drove inflation higher, with the CPI rising in ... Bank of America Sees Interest Rates Exploding Higher Soon: Play It Safe With 4 Dividend Giants

Investors were preparing for a far more cautious Wall Street, with sticky inflation figures and a Fed that refused to give markets the rate-cut signal they wanted. Wells Fargo just switched up that setup. The bank just revamped its S&P 500 view for the rest of 2026, TheFly noted, citing ...

The Federal Reserve's pivot to soften Basel III capital requirements marks a fundamental shift, loosening the regulatory noose that has constrained U.S. banks since 2008.

Persistent inflation could be sticking around for the summer. With Fourth of July Weekend just three weeks away, Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Group head Robin Wenzel outlines how food prices could impact Americans' summer cookout and backyard barbecue plans.

The Federal Reserve’s asset cap on Wells Fargo came off in 2025. JPMorgan’s board waved through a $50 billion repurchase authorization. Bank of America returned $9.30 billion to shareholders in a single quarter. The post-stress-test capital return cycle is already running, and the cash is being shoveled out the door faster than most retail investors ... Banks Are Paying Again: 5 Financial Dividend Stocks After the Stress Tests

The Federal Reserve and banking regulations can have big impacts on profitability for these banking giants.

The smart money read on Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) following the $110 million lending and hiring discrimination settlement approved by a federal judge is clearly constructive. Sell-side analysts carry a buy-skewed consensus and a 12-month price target well above where shares trade today, while insiders have been net buyers into the settlement window. The Hard ... Wall Street’s Verdict on Wells Fargo After the $110 Million Discrimination Settlement

The Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (NYSEARCA:PFFA) sits at $21.62 heading into the back half of 2026, paying a 9.5% yield that has drawn income investors looking for something between bond coupons and common stock dividends. PFFA raised its monthly payout to $0.1725 per share for 2026, up from $0.17 in 2025, extending a ... The Fed’s 2026 Cutting Path Will Make or Break PFFA’s 9.5% Yield

Wells Fargo made a significant call on interest rates six weeks ago. On May 13, its economists made a different one. And the reasoning behind the reversal says something important about how this bank reads the current inflation environment. The disagreement between Wells Fargo and two other major ...

I am opening with the bottom line. Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) trades at $79.18 as of May 4, 2026, and our price target for Wells Fargo is $92.25 over the next 12 months. That implies 16.51% upside, and we rate the stock a buy with a confidence level of 90%. The combination of the lifted Federal ... Wells Fargo Set for 16% Upside Despite Recent Selloff