J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Has $1.51 Million Stock Position in Bank of America Corporation $BAC

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its stake in Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) by 65.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,863 shares during the quarter. 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.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westend Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank of America by 2,046.2% during the fourth quarter. Westend Capital Management LLC now owns 2,790 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 2,660 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its stake in Bank of America by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 1,633,310 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $89,832,000 after purchasing an additional 215,510 shares during the period. Private Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Bank of America by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC now owns 137,063 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,538,000 after buying an additional 6,326 shares in the last quarter. Defined Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Bank of America by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Defined Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,269 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $785,000 after buying an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Oklahoma bought a new position in Bank of America during the 4th quarter worth $666,000. 70.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bank of America Stock Up 1.1%

BAC stock opened at $49.29 on Thursday. Bank of America Corporation has a 52 week low of $33.06 and a 52 week high of $57.55. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a market cap of $352.20 billion, a PE 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 announced 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 net margin of 16.23% and a return on equity of 11.07%. The firm had revenue of $4.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.82 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Bank of America Corporation will post 3.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Thomas M. Scrivener sold 50,000 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total value of $2,491,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 227,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,357,614.86. This trade represents a 17.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider James P. Demare sold 83,832 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider owned 307,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,362,000. This represents a 21.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BAC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Bank of America from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Evercore set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Bank of America in a report on Thursday, January 15th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Bank of America in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. HSBC raised shares of Bank of America from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $57.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Argus boosted their price target on Bank of America from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.54.

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.