Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Stock Price

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) had its price objective decreased by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $67.00 to $61.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 23.76% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank of America from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $66.00 to $64.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Bank of America from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Bank of America in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Bank of America from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.54.

Bank of America Trading Up 1.1%

BAC opened at $49.29 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Bank of America has a 52 week low of $33.06 and a 52 week high of $57.55. The business’s 50 day moving average is $50.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.23. The firm has a market cap of $352.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.23.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.73 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 16.23%.The company’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.82 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Bank of America will post 3.7 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider James P. Demare sold 83,832 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $4,191,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 307,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,362,000. This trade represents a 21.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Bernard A. Mensah sold 94,000 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.94, for a total transaction of $4,412,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 170,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,988,436.96. The trade was a 35.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 227,832 shares of company stock worth $11,094,960. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank of America

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAC. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Bank of America by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 108,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,785,000 after acquiring an additional 25,143 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Bank of America by 40.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 21,401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,013,000 after purchasing an additional 6,174 shares during the period. Smith Moore & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 13,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $631,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of America in the second quarter valued at about $216,000. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 38.4% in the second quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 12,474 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 3,459 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.71% of the company’s stock.

Bank of America News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades and favorable earnings setup: Multiple firms (HSBC, Wells Fargo, Jefferies) have recently published constructive takes or buy ratings and Jefferies highlighted a 5–7% net interest income growth outlook over the next five years — supporting higher earnings and dividend capacity. HSBC upgrade Wells Fargo buy Jefferies NII outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Business wins and product launches: BAC is partnering on new co-brand credit cards (Royal ONE™ and Royal ONE Plus™) with Royal Caribbean — a revenue-generating consumer payments initiative that expands card fee and spend-related income. Royal Caribbean card partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings momentum and capital-markets activity: Analysts note BAC’s strong earnings-surprise record and the bank’s expanding capital markets activity on the NYSE composite — both support confidence in future results and fee income. Zacks on earnings beat potential Capital markets expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price-target moves are mixed: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target (from $67 to $61) but kept an overweight rating — the move reduces upside expectations slightly while keeping institutional support intact. MarketScreener: MS PT change
• Neutral Sentiment: BofA’s analyst activity underscores franchise strength but is not direct BAC news: The bank’s research and trading coverage (Netflix, Micron, CoreWeave, etc.) highlight its institutional capabilities — a reputational positive but only indirectly supportive of BAC’s stock. BofA research on Netflix
• Negative Sentiment: Legal settlement: BAC disclosed a $72.5 million civil lawsuit settlement — a modest one-time charge relative to its capital but a visible near-term headline that can weigh on sentiment. MSN: settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risk flagged by BofA research: The bank’s own strategists warn of “mild stagflation” and oil near $100, which could slow economic growth and pressure credit quality and consumer spending — a negative backdrop for banks if it materializes. TipRanks: stagflation warning
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/large-holder activity: Reports that Warren Buffett/Berkshire reduced BAC exposure (sold ~50% of a stake) have circulated — this can create headline noise and short-term selling pressure even if strategic ownership remains large. Fool: Buffett sells BAC

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.