J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Acquires 10,863 Shares of Bank of America Corporation $BAC

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG grew its holdings in shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) by 65.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 27,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 10,863 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Bank of America were worth $1,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BAC. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of America during the 3rd quarter valued at $649,000. Meridian Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Bank of America by 54.6% in the 3rd quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 58,308 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,008,000 after purchasing an additional 20,591 shares in the last quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. increased its holdings in Bank of America by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 629,610 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $32,482,000 after purchasing an additional 86,290 shares in the last quarter. World Equity Group Inc. raised its position in Bank of America by 21.8% in the third quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 73,188 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,779,000 after purchasing an additional 13,119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in Bank of America in the third quarter valued at about $482,000. 70.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bank of America Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of BAC stock opened at $49.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $352.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.87, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $50.79 and a 200-day moving average of $52.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Bank of America Corporation has a 1-year low of $33.06 and a 1-year high of $57.55.

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

Bank of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Bank of America’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.

Key Stories Impacting Bank of America

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

Insider Transactions at Bank of America

In other news, insider James P. Demare sold 83,832 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $4,191,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 307,240 shares in the company, valued at $15,362,000. This represents a 21.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Bernard A. Mensah sold 94,000 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.94, for a total transaction of $4,412,360.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 170,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,988,436.96. This represents a 35.58% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 227,832 shares of company stock worth $11,094,960. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BAC shares. Erste Group Bank cut Bank of America from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $66.00 to $64.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on shares of Bank of America from $63.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.54.

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.