When you look at the new highs list, it’s surprising to see just how many bank stocks are on it. Most notable is the number of really big bank stocks moving up in a way that artificial intelligence stocks used to move. This type of “buy every big one in the sector” has the feel of money managers playing catch up to keep from underperforming versus their peers.
It’s mostly love of interest rate cuts that pumps up the banks as algorithmic econometric models on Wall Street discover the delightful effects on the bottom line for financial services. Whether Fed members will continue with the rate cuts and for how long is another question entirely but right now, it’s been decided: bank stocks get the money.
NYSE Big Bank Stocks Rally.
Barclays.
The London-based bank has been around for a couple of centuries and trades these days with a price-earnings ratio of 9.57, substantially less than that of the S&P 500 which trades with a Shiller p/e of 37.35. A financial services equity with that low of a multiple is not that unusual but Barclays also goes for just 65% of its book value and pays a 3.47% dividend. Market capitalization is $46.58 billion.
Comerica.
In business for 175 years, this one falls into the “regional bank” sector with corporate headquarters in Dallas and a market cap of $8.62 billion. The price-earnings ratio is 16.19 and the stock trades at 1.24 times its book value. Comerica pays a 4.38% dividend.
Deutsch Bank.
Headquartered in Frankfurt and with a huge presence in all of Europe, the bank’s market capitalization is $34.36 billion. The stock goes for half of its book value and trades with a price-earnings ratio of 9.76. In September, analysts at Barclays upgraded their opinion of Deutsche from “equal weight” to “overweight.” The dividend is 4.09%.
LLoyds TSB Group.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland and operating globally, the bank’s market cap is $49.32 billion. Earnings this year are negative so there’s no price-earnings ratio but the forward p/e is 8.72. The stock goes for 1.02 times book. The debt-to-equity ratio is 3.50. Lloyds TSB Group pays a dividend of 4.99%.
UBS.
The Switzerland-based bank, with corporate headquarters in Zurich and a global reach, has a 160 year history. It’s the biggest of the financial services companies compiled here with a market cap of $105.13 billion. Now trading with a price-earnings ratio of 177 and a forward p/e of 15.73, the stock goes for 1.24 times book value. The debt-to-equity ratio is 4.65, greater than the other bank stocks listed above. UBS pays a dividend of 2.51%.
No artificial intelligence was used in the writing of this piece.
Stats courtesy of FinViz.com. Charts courtesy of Stockcharts.com.
More analysis and commentary at johnnavin.substack.com.