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In seeking to track the performance of the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index (the index), the fund employs a sampling strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index represents the regional banks segment of the S&P Total Market Index (S&P TMI).

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ダウ工業株30種平均は0.7％低下し、19,076.80ポイント、S&amp;P 500 は5,348.59ドル（0.2％減）となり、ナスダック総合株価指数は38,578.53ドル（0.7％減）で推移しています。

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KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. Common Stock

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U.S. banks delivered another round of strong fourth-quarter earnings Thursday, with Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>), Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>), U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USB#NYSE">USB</a>), First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>), and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNC#NYSE">PNC</a>) all surpassing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">Wall Street earnings estimates.</a>
The results reinforced the sector's resilience, yet financial stocks showed a mixed reaction after Wednesday's sharp rally.
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>), which tracks major banks, inched up 0.1% Thursday after a 2.6% gain the previous day. Meanwhile, regional banks, tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>), dipped 0.7% following Wednesday's rally.
The reports followed upbeat earnings from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>), JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>), Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>), and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>), which fueled the biggest one-day surge in financial stocks since November.
Market strategist Ed Yardeni said the earnings reflected a "pickup in investment banking and markets activity as business confidence improved." He added that consumer loan growth remained slightly stronger than commercial loan growth.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Morgan Stanley Rides Trading Boom To Blowout Quarter</h3>
Morgan Stanley posted earnings per share of $2.22, crushing the $1.70 forecast. Revenue climbed to $16.22 billion, exceeding expectations by nearly 8%, according to <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent011625&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a> data. 
Its trading business drove the beat. Equities sales and trading revenue soared to $3.33 billion, easily topping the $2.63 billion estimate. Fixed income trading also outperformed, generating $1.93 billion versus the $1.68 billion forecast.
Wealth management, a key pillar of Morgan Stanley's business, delivered $7.48 billion in revenue, slightly above the $7.32 billion estimate. Net interest income hit $2.55 billion, well ahead of the $2 billion forecast.
The bank kept costs in check, with compensation expenses at $5.95 billion, lower than the projected $6.64 billion.
Shares rose 1.2%, extending Wednesday's 4.8% surge.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/25/01/43029150/morgan-stanley-q4-earnings-profit-doubles-ceo-calls-it-one-of-strongest-years-aims-for-prudent-dividend-growth">Morgan Stanley Q4 Earnings: Profit Doubles, CEO Calls It One Of Strongest Years, Aims For Prudent Dividend Growth</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bank of America Tops Estimates, But 2025 Outlook In Focus</h3>
Bank of America also delivered a strong quarter, reporting EPS of 82 cents, above the 77 cents forecast. Revenue net of interest expenses came in at $25.35 billion, slightly exceeding expectations.
Key business lines performed well. Net interest income reached $14.36 billion, ahead of the $14.12 billion estimate. Investment banking revenue also beat, coming in at $1.65 billion versus the $1.47 billion forecast.
Goldman Sachs analyst Richard Ramsden noted that the results were "better than expected, given 1% higher NII and fees," but indicated that pre-provision net revenue of $8.4 billion fell 2% short of estimates. He added that investors would focus on expense and interest income guidance for 2025.
Bank of America shares were 0.7% lower, following Wednesday's 2.8% rally.
Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43026092/bank-of-america-q4-earnings-67-billion-profit-revenue-jumps-15-investment-banking-and-deposit-growth">Bank of America Q4 Earnings: $6.7 Billion Profit, $1.7 Billion In Investment banking fees, Forecasts Higher NII In 2025</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">PNC, U.S. Bancorp, First Horizon Deliver Mixed Results</h3>
PNC Financial Services posted EPS of $3.77, beating the $3.33 estimate. Revenue of $5.57 billion edged out expectations, but shares slipped 3.8% after gaining 2.4% on Wednesday.
U.S. Bancorp delivered EPS of $1.07, slightly above the $1.05 forecast, but revenue of $6.98 billion came in just below the $7 billion estimate. The stock was down 6.6% at the time of publication Thursday, after a 3.8% jump Wednesday.
First Horizon posted EPS of 43 cents, beating estimates of 39 cents, but revenue disappointed at $729 million, well short of the $820.7 million forecast. Shares were flat, following a 2.7% gain on Wednesday.
Read now: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43027744/retail-sales-slow-jobless-claims-rise-is-us-consumer-loosing-steam">Retail Sales Disappoint, Jobless Claims Rise: Is US Consumer Losing Steam?</a></li>
</ul>
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Big Banks Continue To Beat Q4 Earnings As Financial ETF Takes A Breather

Wall Street staged a strong rebound on Wednesday, as mixed inflation data bolstered investor confidence in the Federal Reserve's continuation of easing cycle in 2025, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43001512/inflation-rises-to-29-in-december-core-slows-yet-rising-energy-costs-put-feds-target-at-risk">easing recent market anxieties.</a>
The headline Consumer Price Index rose 2.9% year-over-year in December, up from November&#8217;s 2.7% and aligning with economist forecasts. On a monthly basis, headline inflation increased by 0.4%, up from November&#8217;s 0.3%, marking the sharpest monthly rise since March 2024.
The inflation report strengthened market expectations for Fed rate cuts in 2025. The probability of a rate cut by June climbed to 63%, up from 55% the previous day, with December futures now pricing in a 50% chance of two rate cuts.
The S&amp;P 500 advanced 1.5% by midday trading in New York, and the Dow Jones followed suit with a similar gain, both supported by strength in financial stocks. The Nasdaq 100 outperformed, rising 1.9%, while small-cap stocks posted a 1.7% gain.
Key financial giants, including JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>), Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>), Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>), and BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLK#NYSE">BLK</a>), exceeded Wall Street's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43007354/big-banks-crush-q4-earnings-forecasts-financial-stocks-set-for-biggest-1-day-rally-since-trumps-election">fourth-quarter 2024 earnings expectations.</a>
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>) surged nearly 2.2%, leading all S&amp;P 500 sectors and recording its strongest one-day gain in over two months.
In the bond market, yields on the 2-year Treasury note, which is highly sensitive to interest rate expectations, fell 9 basis points to 4.28%, while 30-year yields dropped 8 basis points to 4.89%. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) gained 1.3% as bond prices rose.
The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), as tracked by the Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>), remained flat, with dollar strength against the euro offset by weakness versus the yen.
West Texas Intermediate — as tracked by the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>) — rallied 2%, hitting $80 a barrel during the day amid a stronger-than-expected drop in commercial crude stocks last week.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) jumped 2.6%, nearing $99,000, buoyed by optimism surrounding potential Fed rate cuts. Meanwhile, gold, tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), gained 0.5%. 
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h1>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1-day % chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>21,142.06</td>
<td>1.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,257.59</td>
<td>1.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>5,932.76</td>
<td>1.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>43,153.53</td>
<td>1.5%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:15 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>
According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent011525&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:
<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 1.5% to $590.96.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>)&nbsp;rose 1.5% to $431.31.</li>
<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rallied 1.9% to $514.49.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) increased 1.8% to $223.77.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund outperformed, up 1.2%; the&nbsp;Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLP#NYSE">XLP</a>) lagged, down 0.3%.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Citigroup Inc. rallied over 7%, in reaction to stronger-than-expected earnings, marking the strongest performance within the S&amp;P 500 index.</li>
<li>Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ISRG#NASDAQ">ISRG</a>) rose 6.9% after RBC raised its 12-month price target to $641. </li>
<li>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) shares climbed more than 5% after RBC increased its price target for the stock from $313 to $440, while reaffirming its outperform rating.</li>
</ul>
Read Now: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43006771/bitcoin-up-to-99000-is-loving-inflation-data-release-xrp-dogecoin-follow-higher">Bitcoin Up To $99,000 &#8216;Is Loving&#8217; Inflation Data Release, XRP, Dogecoin Follow Higher</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

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Economics

ISRG

iShares Trust Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund

TSLA

PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund

Wall Street Rallies As Treasury Yields Fall, Banks Smash Q4 Earnings, Oil Hits $80: What's Driving Markets Wednesday?

Major U.S. banks reported strong fourth-quarter 2024 earnings on Wednesday, with better-than-expected results across the board <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42984073/banks-kick-off-earnings-season-on-wednesday-retail-traders-bet-big-on-financials-ahead-of-regulatory-tailwinds">and upbeat 2025 guidance. </a>
The performance was driven by robust net interest income (NII), resilient fee revenue, and disciplined expense management. 
These positive earnings results sent financial stocks higher, with the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>) rising 1.9% on Wednesday, eyeing the strongest one-day rally since Nov. 6, 2024, when financial stocks rallied in response to Donald Trump&#8216;s victory at the presidential elections.
The SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) jumped 3.1%, reflecting strength among regional banks.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bank Earnings In Focus</h3>
JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>) reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of $4.81, far exceeding the consensus estimate of $4.11, representing a 17% surprise, according to <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent011525&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Revenue came in at $43.74 billion, beating estimates by 4.9%. The bank's strong performance was attributed to higher NII, which totaled $94 billion for 2025 guidance, above expectations, along with lower-than-anticipated credit costs.
The world&#8217;s largest bank repurchased $4 billion in shares during the quarter, bringing its Common Equity Tier 1 ratio to 15.8%, up 30 basis points quarter-over-quarter.
Shares of JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. rose 0.5% by 10:00 a.m. in New York. 
Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43000684/jpmorgan-q4-earnings-shine-investment-banking-revenue-jumps-46-yy-jamie-dimon-says-inflation-may-persist-for-some-time">JPMorgan Chase Q4 Earnings: Investment Banking Revenue Jumps 46%, CEO Jamie Dimon Says &#8216;Inflation May Persist For Some Time&#8217;</a>
Goldman Sachs Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>) delivered a standout performance with EPS of $11.95, a sharp 45.4% surprise over the $8.22 consensus. Revenue reached $13.87 billion, 11.9% above estimates, driven by strong trading revenue, up by 13%, and better-than-expected equity underwriting, up 41%.
According to Bank of America analysts, Goldman remains &#8220;a favored way to gain exposure to rebounding investment banking activity.&#8221;
The bank repurchased $2 billion in shares and ended the quarter with a 15% CET1 ratio. Return on equity for 2024 stood at 12.5%, slightly below the bank&#8217;s mid-teens target but still solid.
Goldman Sachs rallied 6% in response to fourth-quarter results, reaching highs last seen in early December 2024 and eyeing the strongest 1-day rally since Nov. 6 2024.
Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43000353/goldman-sachs-q4-earnings-equity-and-debt-underwriting-fuel-revenue-boost-assets-under-management-hit-record-314-trillion">Goldman Sachs Q4 Earnings: Underwriting Boosts Revenue, Assets Reach Record $3.14 Trillion</a>
Wells Fargo Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>) posted EPS of $1.42, beating estimates by 5.2%, driven by stronger-than-expected NII and fee revenue. 
Overall revenue was slightly below estimates at $20.38 billion, yet the bank's 2025 guidance surprised to the upside, with NII expected to grow 1-3% year-over-year, implying $48.98 billion—higher than analyst expectations.
Wells Fargo's CET1 ratio stood at 11.1%, down 20 basis points quarter-over-quarter, but the bank returned $4 billion to shareholders through buybacks. 
Credit trends remained stable, and expenses were well-managed, positioning the bank for a solid year ahead.
Shares of Wells Fargo roared 5.7% to early December highs. 
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43002392/wells-fargo-q4-earnings-investors-cheer-50-jump-in-net-profit-roe-improvement-bank-expects-up-to-3-jump-in-2025-nii">Wells Fargo Q4 Earnings: Investors Cheer 50% Jump In Net Profit, ROE Improvement, Bank Expects Up To 3% Jump In 2025 NII</a>
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>) reported EPS of $1.34, beating the $1.22 consensus by 9.8%, while revenue of $19.58 billion narrowly exceeded expectations. 
The results reflected solid execution across the bank's core operations, with a particular boost from strong trading revenues.
Though the bank still faces challenges in certain areas, analysts at Bank of America see improving operational efficiency and regulatory easing as potential tailwinds. 
Citigroup's stock rose 5.7% following the earnings release, reflecting growing investor optimism.
Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/buybacks/25/01/43002760/citigroup-q4-earnings-12-topline-growth-2-9-billion-net-income-20-billion-share-buyback-gains-in-wealth-and-market-segments">Citigroup Q4 Earnings: 12% Topline Growth, $2.9 Billion Net Income, $20 Billion Share Buyback, Gains In Wealth And Market Segments</a>
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>) posted EPS of $1.72, exceeding estimates by 10.3%, while revenue of $4.85 billion beat projections by 4.2%. The results were driven by robust pre-provision net revenue growth, up 9.5% year-over-year, fueled by NII growth of nearly 14%.
The bank achieved its medium-term targets of a 33% pre-tax margin and 23% return on tangible common equity (ROTCE), highlighting disciplined expense management. 
Shareholder returns were also strong, with $1.1 billion returned in the fourth quarter, including $750 million in buybacks.
Shares rallied by 5.7%, eyeing their highest one-day surge since July 2022. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Looking Ahead</h3>
The market spotlight will shift to Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>), U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USB#NYSE">USB</a>), First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>), PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNC#NYSE">PNC</a>), and M&amp;T Bank Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTB#NYSE">MTB</a>) all slated to report earnings on Thursday, before the market open. 
Here's what investors will be watching, according to Benzinga Pro data:
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Bank</th>
<th>Estimated Revenue</th>
<th>Estimated EPS</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Bank of America Corp.</td>
<td>$25.24 billion</td>
<td>$0.77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>$15.03 billion</td>
<td>$1.70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PNC Financial Services Group Inc.</td>
<td>$5.50 billion</td>
<td>$3.33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>U.S. Bancorp</td>
<td>$6.99 billion</td>
<td>$1.05</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M&amp;T Bank Corp.</td>
<td>$2.34 billion</td>
<td>$3.73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Horizon Corp.</td>
<td>$820.7 million</td>
<td>$0.39</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42997625/blackrock-beats-q4-estimates-fueled-by-record-inflows-116-trillion-aum-milestone">BlackRock Q4 Earnings: Record Inflows Fuel Revenue And Earnings Beat, AUM Hits $11.6 Trillion Milestone</a></li>
</ul>
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Big Banks Crush Q4 Earnings Forecasts: Financial Stocks Set For Biggest 1-Day Rally Since Trump's Election

Major indices rallied on Wednesday after December inflation data showed underlying price pressures slowing, reducing fears of a prolonged pause in interest rate cuts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43001512/inflation-rises-to-29-in-december-core-slows-yet-rising-energy-costs-put-feds-target-at-risk">by the Federal Reserve. </a>
The headline Consumer Price Index rose 2.9% year-over-year in December, up from November's 2.7%, matching economist forecasts. On a monthly basis, headline inflation increased 0.4%, accelerating from the 0.3% surge in November and marking the largest monthly rise since March 2024.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 3.2% year-over-year, slightly below the expected 3.3%. Month-over-month, core prices gained 0.2%, in line with forecasts.
The inflation data boosted expectations for Fed rate cuts in 2025. The probability of a rate cut by June rose to 68% from 55% the previous day, with December futures now indicating a 58% chance of two cuts by year-end.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wall Street Gains As Bond Yields Retreat, Financial Stocks Soar</h3>
The S&amp;P 500 index – as tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) – surged 1.5% in early New York trading, led by financial stocks after major banks reported strong fourth-quarter earnings.
JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>), Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>), Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>) and BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLK#NYSE">BLK</a>) all topped earnings forecasts for the fourth quarter and released upbeat guidance, reiterating that the financial sector thrived heading to the end of last year.
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>) rose 2.2%, leading all S&amp;P 500 sectors, while the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) jumped 3.4%, reflecting strong performance among regional banks.
The Dow rose 1.6%, while the Russell 2000 index outperformed, climbing 2.6%. Tech stocks, tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), gained 1.7%, boosted by falling Treasury yields.
Yields on the policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury note fell 9 basis points to 4.27%, while 30-year yields dropped 9 basis points to 4.88%. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) gained 1.6% as bond prices rallied.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) rose 2% to over $99,000, supported by rising hopes for Fed rate cuts. Gold, tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), added 0.5%.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Movers</h3>
S&amp;P 500 Gainers:
<ul>
<li>Texas Pacific Land Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TPL#NYSE">TPL</a>): +5.85%</li>
<li>BlackRock Inc.: +5.54%</li>
<li>Assurant Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIZ#NYSE">AIZ</a>): +5.49%</li>
<li>Bio-Techne Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TECH#NASDAQ">TECH</a>): +5.36%</li>
<li>Citigroup Inc.: +5.16%</li>
</ul>
Nasdaq 100 Movers:
<ul>
<li>Copart Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPRT#NASDAQ">CPRT</a>): +4.62%</li>
<li>Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ISRG#NASDAQ">ISRG</a>): +4.60%</li>
<li>AppLovin Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APP#NASDAQ">APP</a>): +4.43%</li>
<li>Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>): +4.30%</li>
<li>The Trade Desk Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTD#NASDAQ">TTD</a>): +3.39%</li>
</ul>
Top Gainers In The Invesco KBW Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWB#NYSE">KBWB</a>):
<ul>
<li>Citigroup Inc.: +5.27%</li>
<li>Wells Fargo &amp; Co.: +4.80%</li>
<li>Bank of New York Mellon Corp.: +4.35%</li>
<li>Western Alliance Bancorp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WAL#NYSE">WAL</a>): +4.13%</li>
<li>Goldman Sachs Group Inc.: +4.02%</li>
</ul>
Read now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43000684/jpmorgan-q4-earnings-shine-investment-banking-revenue-jumps-46-yy-jamie-dimon-says-inflation-may-persist-for-some-time">JPMorgan Chase Q4 Earnings: Investment Banking Revenue Jumps 46%, CEO Jamie Dimon Says &#8216;Inflation May Persist For Some Time&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

CPRT

KBWB

PLTR

TECH

Stocks Rise On Core Inflation Slowdown, Banks Rally After Strong Q4 Earnings, Treasury Yields Plummet

A stronger lending environment, stable credit and renewed confidence in valuations could set the stage for a multiyear rally on U.S. regional banks, with some analysts predicting up to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/regional-banks">20% upside in 2025.</a>
Three major investment banks — JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co., Bank of America and Goldman Sachs — released fresh outlooks on regional banks Tuesday, issuing rating changes, top stock picks and sector recommendations for 2025.
Overall, analysts at all three firms are optimistic. Goldman Sachs analyst Ryan Nash, for example, highlighted several factors likely to improve sector fundamentals in 2025:
<ul>
<li>Loan Growth Recovery: While still slow, loan growth is expected to accelerate to 6%-7% by the second half of 2025 as corporations resume borrowing.</li>
<li>Net Interest Income Growth: A steeper yield curve and the repricing of fixed-rate assets are anticipated to boost NII. Nash expects margins to expand from the current 3.03% to 3.31% in 2025.</li>
<li>Fee Income Rebound: Treasury management, payments, and capital markets are set to improve, helping banks diversify revenue streams.</li>
<li>Stable Credit Conditions: Credit losses, measured by net charge-offs, are projected to remain flat or decline, while reserves could decrease as economic clarity improves.</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li></li>
</ol>
According to Nash, the stocks of regional banks are trading at approximately 11.5 times estimated 2025 earnings—near their historical averages but with room for valuation expansion. 
The sector could generate returns on tangible common equity of 14%-15%, compared to 16% pre-2023.
This suggests the group could rise as much as 20% next year, according to Goldman Sachs, assuming the market gains confidence in forward earnings.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Goldman Sachs: Upgrades Zions, Downgrades Comerica</h3>
Goldman Sachs upgraded Zions Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZION#NASDAQ">ZION</a>) from Neutral to Buy. The firm predicts a significant upside for the stock, with shares potentially reaching $70 in 2025.
Goldman downgraded Comerica Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMA#NYSE">CMA</a>) from Buy to Neutral, citing challenges in deposit management, fee income pressure, and elevated expense growth. Comerica's margins are expected to improve in 2025. But Nash sees limited upside, with shares already trading near their fair value of $70.
Goldman's top picks for 2025 include Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TFC#NYSE">TFC</a>), Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>), KeyCorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KEY#NYSE">KEY</a>) and Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>).
Analysts remain positive on Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FITB#NASDAQ">FITB</a>), Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>) and First Citizens BancShares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Case For Valuation Upside</h3>
JPMorgan Chase analysts are similarly bullish, indicating that regional banks are trading at just 1.4x their projected 2025 tangible book value, below the 1.8-2x historical range.
Anthony Elian, a JPMorgan analyst, said regional banks&#8217; valuations appear favorable relative to the broader market.
&#8220;While inflation remains above target, the steeper yield curve coupled with gradual rate cuts should serve as a favorable backdrop for regional banks,&#8221; Elian said. 
He expects the sector to attract more interest from generalist investors in 2025, further supporting valuations.
JPMorgan identified several regional banks with strong upside potential, including First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>), Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNV#NYSE">SNV</a>) and Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNFP#NASDAQ">PNFP</a>). These names are expected to benefit from rebounding loan demand, robust deposit bases, and favorable capital return dynamics.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Improving Regulatory Environment </h3>
Bank of America analyst Ebrahim H. Poonawala also indicated that regional banks are poised to outperform the broader market in 2025, citing stronger earnings growth, discounted valuations, and a more predictable regulatory environment.
While Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>) remains BofA's top pick, the bank also flagged KeyCorp and Huntington Bancshares Inc. as preferred names within regional banks.
The analyst highlighted a favorable backdrop for small- and mid-cap regional banks, particularly those with exposure to rebounding loan demand and capital return opportunities. 
Among these, BofA sees First Horizon Corp. and Synovus as potentially strong performers.
Bank of America highlights that looser regulation is a positive tailwind for the sector.
&#8220;Headlines tied to regulatory&nbsp;changes&nbsp;(once Trump appointees take charge)&nbsp;could kick-in as a positive catalyst&nbsp;for stocks,&#8221; Poonawala said. 
&#8220;We see Fed Vice Chair Michael Barr&#8216;s decision to step down from his position as vice chair of supervision as the opening act.&nbsp;End to Fed&#8217;s QT&nbsp;program&nbsp;could also&nbsp;serve&nbsp;as a positive for deposit growth/pricing,&#8221; he added. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>
The SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) was 0.4% lower on Tuesday, while the Invesco KBW Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWB#NASDAQ">KBWB</a>) rose by 0.5%. 
Read Now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42822291/2025-industry-shake-up-goldman-highlights-kkr-raymond-james-hamilton-lane">2025 Industry Shake-Up: Goldman Highlights KKR, Raymond James, Hamilton Lane</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Upgrades

Downgrades

Price Target

Reiteration

FCNCA

FITB

HBAN

PNFP

ZION

Are Regional Banks The Next Big Opportunity? Why Wall Street Analysts Expect Multiyear Rally

Wall Street is in full risk-on mode, as traders eagerly snap up technology stocks, particularly semiconductors, ahead of Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) CEO Jensen Huang&#8216;s speech later on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42822846/nvidia-5000-series-product-updates-make-it-top-semiconductor-pick-ahead-of-jensen-huangs-ces-keynote-analyst">in Las Vegas.</a>
Tech-linked indices and sector outperformed by midday trading in New York. The Nasdaq 100 notched a 1.3% increase while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) soared by over 4%, eyeing the strongest session since mid-September.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>) shares led gains, flagging a 12% surge, on the back of expectations for strong AI demand. Nvidia rose 4.8%.
Among Monday&#8217;s notable headlines, The Washington Post reported Donald Trump&#8217;s economic team is exploring a more targeted version of its universal tariff plan, aiming to apply tariffs to specific sectors rather than implementing a broad <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42813324/trumps-universal-tariff-plans-take-shape-analysts-expect-stronger-for-longer-greenback">measure on all imports. </a>The dollar softened by 0.5% in reaction to the news.
The Federal Reserve announced the vice chair for supervision Michael Barr, a strong advocate for tighter banking regulations, will step down from his role in February but will retain his seat on the Board of Governors.
&#8220;The risk of a dispute over the position could be a distraction from our mission,&#8221; Barr stated, alluding to potential clashes with the incoming administration&#8217;s inclination toward looser banking regulations. Regional bank stocks reacted positively, with the S&amp;P SPDR Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) rising 1.6% on Monday.
In commodities markets, natural gas prices rocketed by another 7% on the heels of an extension of cold temperatures, while oil prices slipped 0.7%, potentially snapping a 5-day winning streak. 
Sentiment turned bullish again in cryptocurrency markets, as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) ferociously reclaimed the $100,000 mark, sending crypto-linked stocks such as Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLSK#NASDAQ">CLSK</a>) and Microstrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) all higher by about 6%. 
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h1>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1-day % chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>21,584.34</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>5,996.40</td>
<td>0.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,284.16</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>42,832.88</td>
<td>0.2%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>
According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent010625&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:
<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 0.9% to $597.33.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>)&nbsp;rose 0.4% to $429.05.</li>
<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rose 1.3% to $525.31.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) soared 0.9% to $226.44.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) outperformed, up 1.7%; the&nbsp;Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) lagged, down 0.7%.</li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h1>
<ul>
<li>Shares of Paycor HCM Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PYCR#NASDAQ">PYCR</a>) surged 23% after reports surfaced that the company is nearing a potential acquisition by Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PAYX#NASDAQ">PAYX</a>). </li>
<li>Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) tumbled over 4% following a cautious note from Morgan Stanley. </li>
<li>Fubotv Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FUBO#NYSE">FUBO</a>) skyrocketed by 220% after Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>) announced to combine its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/42822625/big-techs-date-with-antitrust-alphabet-meta-amazon-brace-for-legal-showdowns-in-2025">Big Tech&#8217;s Date With Antitrust: Alphabet, Meta, Amazon Brace For Legal Showdowns In 2025</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Forex

CLSK

COIN

FUBO

MARA

MSTR

NVDA

PAYX

PYCR

iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund

SOXX

Select Sector SPDR-Consumer Discretionary

Wall Street Rallies, Chipmakers Soar Ahead Of Nvidia's Huang Speech, Bitcoin Reclaims $100,000: What's Driving Markets Monday?

Billionaire investor and former hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller, a confidant of George Soros, is well known for his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42659876/stanley-druckenmiller-pours-funds-into-1-trillion-company-already-trading-up-100">top-down investment style</a> and for paying close attention to macroeconomic factors. 
One of his recent wagers seemingly predicted the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">2024 U.S. presidential election</a> ahead of time.
What Happened: According to a 13f filing on Sept. 30, Druckenmiller&#8217;s Duquesne Family Holdings purchased 2,053,323 shares of the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) during the quarter. This now carries a market value of around $123 million. The investment represented 3.9% of Duquesne&#8217;s total portfolio.
The ETF tracks regional bank stocks across the U.S. Unlike large banks, regionals have smaller asset bases, are subject to less regulation and operate in only one region or state.
Regional banks could be poised for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42249615/6-regional-bank-stocks-to-buy-before-trump-names-new-sec-leadership">strong legislative tailwinds</a> following President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s inauguration in January. Trump&#8217;s first term brought deregulation of regional banks and several rollbacks of Obama-era banking policy following the 2008 banking crisis. On the flip side, deregulation poses a risk to the financial sector if lax standards lead to crises.
The ETF is trading 6% higher than it did on Sept. 30. On the Wednesday following election day, the ETF traded up over 13% in a single trading period, reflecting market optimism over the industry&#8217;s prospects under a second Trump administration.
Why It Matters: Druckenmiller&#8217;s investment before the election could be seen as a prescient bet that Trump would win. In October, Druckenmiller said that the market <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41448443/market-very-convinced-of-a-trump-win-says-stanley-druckenmiller-why-billionaire-investor-thinks-blue">was &#8220;very convinced&#8221;</a> of a Trump victory. 
It is unclear whether the Bowdoin College and University of Michigan alumnus bought more shares of the ETF between the third-quarter reporting date and the election.
Price-to-book metrics are generally considered more relevant to analyzing bank market valuations. On Monday, the Regional Bank ETF traded 1.1 times its book value. 
Wall Street&#8217;s valuation of regionals has largely rebounded since 2023&#8217;s banking crisis, which saw Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank go under. The ETF traded 0.7 times above the book value in April of 2023. During Trump&#8217;s first term, the ETF traded as high as 1.6 times above book value, reflecting market confidence.
Now Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/24/12/42627207/stanley-druckenmillers-top-holding-has-outperformed-its-sector-by-252">Stanley Druckenmiller&#8217;s Top Holding Has Outperformed Its Sector By 252%</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Government

Hedge Funds

Trading Ideas

Stanley Druckenmiller Loaded Up On Regional Banks Ahead Of Trump's Election Win

The biggest banks are planning to sue the Federal Reserve over the annual bank stress tests, according to a person familiar with the matter. A lawsuit is expected this week and could come as soon as Tuesday morning, the person said.
The Fed's stress test is an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/26/fed-banks-stress-test-2024.html">annual ritual</a> that forces banks to maintain adequate cushions for bad loans and dictates the size of share repurchases and dividends.
After the market close on Monday, the Federal Reserve announced in a statement that it is <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20241223a.htm">looking to make changes</a> to the bank stress tests and will be seeking public comment on what it calls "significant changes to improve the transparency of its bank stress tests and to reduce the volatility of resulting capital buffer requirements."
The Fed said it made the determination to change the tests because of "the evolving legal landscape," pointing to changes in administrative laws in recent years. It didn't outline any specific changes to the framework of the annual stress tests.
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/24/biggest-banks-planning-to-sue-the-federal-reserve-over-annual-stress-tests.html" title="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/24/biggest-banks-planning-to-sue-the-federal-reserve-over-annual-stress-tests.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/24/biggest-banks-planning-to-sue-the-federal-reserve-over-annual-stress-tests.html</a>

News

'Biggest banks planning to sue the Federal Reserve over annual stress tests' - CNBC

<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20241223a.htm" title="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20241223a.htm">https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20241223a.htm</a>
&nbsp;

US Federal Reserve Announces Due To 'Evolving Legal Landscape,' It Will Soon Seek Comment On Changes To Bank Stress Tests To Improve Transparency And Reduce Volatility; Says Intends To Propose Changes Including Disclosing And Seeking Comment On Stress Test Models And Scenarios, And Averaging Results Over Two Years; Proposed Changes Not Designed To Materially Affect Overall Bank Capital Requirements

Markets saw a brief reprieve Friday as the Federal Reserve&#8217;s preferred inflation gauge came in below expectations, tempering concerns of mounting volatility after this <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/12/42615908/feds-preferred-inflation-gauge-falls-more-than-expected-markets-breathe-sigh-of-relief">week's hawkish policy pivot.</a>
The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index rose 2.4% year-over-year in November, missing the 2.5% forecast. On a monthly basis, the gauge slowed to 0.1%, down from 0.2% in October and below projections for steady growth.
Core PCE, which excludes food and energy, remained at 2.8% annually, slightly under the 2.9% estimate. The monthly core reading also decelerated to 0.1% from 0.3%, undershooting the 0.2% forecast.
Even with Friday's softer inflation print, traders seemed hesitant to enter a buy-everything mode after the sharp volatility seen earlier this week. 
The slightly tempered reaction suggests a degree of caution remains entrenched among investors as they assess the Fed's hawkish tone.
New York Fed President John Williams, interviewed by CNBC, reiterated that &#8220;monetary policy continues to be restrictive.&#8221; 
Williams described the recent inflation data as &#8220;encouraging news,&#8221; highlighting further disinflation progress. Yet, he indicated that &#8220;we&#8217;re still not to our 2% goal&#8221; and reaffirmed the Fed's commitment to achieving that target.
&#8220;I think the economy is a good place and most importantly for me, monetary policy is well positioned,&#8221; he added. 
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Stock Market Adds Some Gains, Yet &#8220;Don&#8217;t Fight The Fed&#8221; Remains The Mantra</h1>
U.S. equity markets saw modest gains following November&#8217;s softer-than-expected inflation data, as investor caution lingered after the Federal Reserve's hawkish policy shift earlier this week.
<ul>
<li>S&amp;P 500: The broader market index — as tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) — edged up from 5,800 to 5,840 by 9:50 a.m. in New York, down by 0.4% for the day.</li>
<li>Dow Jones: The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) gained 0.4% after the release.</li>
<li>Nasdaq 100: Tech stocks fared better, with the Nasdaq QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) adding 0.6% and recovering from steeper pre-market declines.</li>
<li>Real estate was the strongest-performing sector, with the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VNQ#NYSE">VNQ</a>) rising by 1.1%. </li>
<li>Russell 2000: Small-cap stocks showed the largest rebound, with the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) up by 0.1%. </li>
<li>The SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) witnessed a 0.8% rally. </li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Treasury Yields Ease, Dollar Falls And Gold Rebounds</h1>
Bond markets saw some relief as Treasury yields fell following several days of sharp increases. 
The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond dropped five basis points to 4.70%, lifting the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) by 0.8%. This marks a partial recovery after the ETF plunged more than 3% over the previous two sessions.
Yields on shorter-dated two-year Treasury notes fell by seven basis points.
The U.S. dollar index — as tracked by the Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>) — weakened by 0.3%.
Gold prices rose, as the precious metal benefited from lower Treasury yields and the declining dollar. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>) increased by 0.7%.
In the cryptocurrency market, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NYSE">IBIT</a>) trimmed premarket losses to 0.9%, as the largest cryptocurrency surged back above $95,000 levels. 
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42606037/etf-market-hits-records-in-2024-inflows-reach-16-trillion-7-funds-top-ranking">ETF Market Sets Records In 2024 As Inflows Reach $1.6 Trillion: 7 Funds Leading Charge</a></li>
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Photo: Shutterstock

Markets

Movers

IBIT

Market Volatility Halts On Soft Inflation Data, Yet Traders Remain Wary Of Fighting The Fed: 10 ETFs Moving Friday

As markets brace for the Federal Reserve's final policy meeting of the year, scheduled at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Goldman Sachs highlighted 20 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that have historically shown outsized <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/federal-reserve">moves around Fed decision days</a>.
While a 25-basis-point rate cut to a target range of 4.25%-4.50% is widely anticipated, the market's focus is on the Fed's forward guidance, particularly the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and the updated &#8220;dot plot.&#8221;
Following December's expected cut, Goldman Sachs projects a more measured pace of easing next year, forecasting rate cuts in March, June, and September, with the terminal rate seen at 3.50%-3.75%.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/12/42554114/all-eyes-on-december-fed-meeting-as-traders-await-interest-rate-projections">All Eyes On December Fed Meeting As Traders Await Interest Rate Projections</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Dynamics Around Fed Days</h3>
U.S. equity markets have displayed strong short-term gains during Fed meeting weeks in 2024. 
Investors employing a simple strategy of buying the S&amp;P 500 index at market close before a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcement and selling at close the following day have captured median returns of 1.1% across the past seven meetings.
Yet those extending the trade horizon to 15 sessions post-Fed meeting have enjoyed significantly larger average gains of 3.29%, more than double the short-term returns. Notably, every Fed meeting this year has resulted in positive 15-day returns.
"We observe that U.S. banking ETFs, such as SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>) and SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>), have seen unusually large moves on FOMC days since 2022" Goldman analysts wrote in a recent note.
For bond-focused investors, the report highlights consistent post-meeting gains in high-yield and investment-grade ETFs like iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HYG#NYSE">HYG</a>) and iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LQD#NYSE">LQD</a>).
Meanwhile, energy-focused ETFs, such as the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>), have seen negative reactions. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">ETFs Showing Heightened Fed-Day Moves</h3>
Here's Goldman Sachs' list of 20 ETFs with the largest absolute moves – which include both positive and negative swing – on FOMC days:
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>ETF Name</th>
<th>Focus</th>
<th>Average Absolute Move on FOMC since 2022</th>
<th>Average Absolute Move (Last 3 FOMC events)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF </td>
<td>Regional Banking</td>
<td>2.5%</td>
<td>1.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NASDAQ">SMH</a>)</td>
<td>Semiconductor</td>
<td>2.4%</td>
<td>3.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>)</td>
<td>Semiconductor</td>
<td>2.4%</td>
<td>3.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>)</td>
<td>US Large Banks</td>
<td>2.2%</td>
<td>1.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPDR S&amp;P Biotech ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XBI#NYSE">XBI</a>)</td>
<td>Biotech</td>
<td>2.0%</td>
<td>0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>United States Oil Fund </td>
<td>Oil</td>
<td>1.9%</td>
<td>2.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>)</td>
<td>Technology</td>
<td>1.9%</td>
<td>2.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares Silver Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLV#NYSE">SLV</a>)</td>
<td>Silver</td>
<td>1.7%</td>
<td>2.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)</td>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>1.7%</td>
<td>1.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>)</td>
<td>Discretionary</td>
<td>1.6%</td>
<td>1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>)</td>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>1.5%</td>
<td>0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>)</td>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
<td>0.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VOO#NYSE">VOO</a>)</td>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
<td>0.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>)</td>
<td>Financial</td>
<td>1.1%</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>)</td>
<td>Gold</td>
<td>0.9%</td>
<td>1.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EMB#NASDAQ">EMB</a>)</td>
<td>EM Bond</td>
<td>0.8%</td>
<td>0.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF </td>
<td>HY Corp Bond</td>
<td>0.6%</td>
<td>0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF </td>
<td>IG Corp Bond</td>
<td>0.6%</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IEF#NASDAQ">IEF</a>)</td>
<td>7-10 Year Treasury</td>
<td>0.6%</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares TIPS Bond ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TIP#NYSE">TIP</a>)</td>
<td>TIPS Bond</td>
<td>0.5%</td>
<td>0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.5%</td>
<td>1.3%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Check Out: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/12/42539116/fed-meetings-made-stock-traders-richer-in-2024-could-wednesday-bring-last-big-rally">Fed Meetings Made Stock Traders Richer In 2024: Could Wednesday Bring Last Big Rally?</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Specialty ETFs

New ETFs

Emerging Market ETFs

Currency ETFs

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iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Fund

iShares Trust Barclays 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Fund

20 ETFs Primed For Unusually Big Swings On Fed Meeting Days

Regional bank stocks have been on a tear since the 2024 U.S. election, with the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) climbing about 10% versus the broader <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42536512/market-breadth-worsens-as-tech-giants-break-free-from-sp-500-reality-is-this-bullish-or-bearish-for-2025">S&amp;P 500&#8217;s 5% gain. </a>
Despite this already strong outperformance, JPMorgan analysts, led by Anthony Elian, CFA, see more upside.
The key drivers? A potential Trump administration's pro-business stance, easing regulation and a favorable interest rate backdrop.
In a note shared with clients on Tuesday, Elian indicated that investors — long on the sidelines due to frustrations such as regulation, rising deposit costs and the Spring 2023 banking turmoil — are beginning to show renewed interest in the sector.
&#8220;Our optimism for the group is not only driven by the likelihood of improving fundamentals next year in areas such as loan growth, deposit growth, and NIM expansion, but also tied to the fact that dozens of generalists and long only investors that we have spoken to since the election are showing increasing interest in the group but have not yet pulled the buy trigger en masse,&#8221; Elian said.
In essence, analysts at the U.S. largest investment bank are bullish on regional banks heading into 2025, with a strong case for 20% upside. 
Here's where they'd put $1,000 to work.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Why 2025 Could Be A Breakout Year For Regionals</h1>
According to JPMorgan, key catalysts driving stock gains across the industry next year include:
<ul>
<li>A revival in loan growth spurred by onshoring trends.</li>
<li>A deregulatory push from the upcoming Donald Trump&#8216;s administration, particularly if Basel III Endgame proposals are halted.</li>
<li>Improved M&amp;A activity, with banks like Comerica Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMA#NYSE">CMA</a>), First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>), and Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZION#NASDAQ">ZION</a>) potentially benefiting.</li>
<li>Lower corporate taxes supporting bottom-line profitability.</li>
<li>A steep yield curve and the Fed's expected rate cuts in 2025, which could reduce deposit costs and boost Net Interest Margins (NIM).</li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Rate Cuts, Deposit Costs: A Big Win For Banks</h1>
JPMorgan highlights that deposit costs, which are tied to the Fed funds rate, remain critical to bank profitability.
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median cost of interest-bearing deposits stood at 3.5%, with higher-paying banks like Texas Capital Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCBI#NASDAQ">TCBI</a>), Flagstar Financial Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLG#NYSE">FLG</a>) and Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLY#NASDAQ">VLY</a>) above 4%.
Banks paying higher rates have the most room to benefit as the Fed eases monetary policy in 2025. 
Lower-beta deposits, like those at First Hawaiian Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHB#NASDAQ">FHB</a>) and Webster Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBS#NYSE">WBS</a>), offer less flexibility for adjustments. 
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">JPMorgan's $1,000 Allocation Strategy</h1>
For retail investors looking to capitalize on regional bank momentum, JPMorgan provides a clear allocation breakdown:
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Stock</th>
<th>Allocation ($)</th>
<th>Rating</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WAL#NYSE">WAL</a>)</td>
<td>$110</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>)</td>
<td>$105</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNFP#NASDAQ">PNFP</a>)</td>
<td>$102</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNV#NYSE">SNV</a>)</td>
<td>$94</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Webster Financial Corp. </td>
<td>$92</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Valley National Bancorp </td>
<td>$90</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zions Bancorp. </td>
<td>$80</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Horizon Corp. </td>
<td>$78</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Comerica Inc. </td>
<td>$65</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Flagstar Financial </td>
<td>$62</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Columbia Banking System (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COLB#NASDAQ">COLB</a>)</td>
<td>$40</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Hawaiian Inc. </td>
<td>$30</td>
<td>Underweight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Capital Bancshares </td>
<td>$30</td>
<td>Underweight</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Top Picks For 2025</h1>
JPMorgan highlights Western Alliance Corp, First Citizens BancShares and Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. its top picks for regional banks in 2025, citing their relative strength in loan growth, cost efficiency and positioning for upside.
JPMorgan also rates Synovus Financial Corp., Webster Financial Corp. and Valley National Bancorp at Overweight, pointing to solid fundamentals and opportunities for growth.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42538384/vistra-entergy-nisource-pge-4-utilities-power-up-for-bullish-2025-says-jpmorgan">Vistra, Entergy, NiSource, PG&amp;E: 4 Utilities Power Up For Bullish 2025, Says JPMorgan</a></li>
</ul>
The images used was created using artificial intelligence MidJourney.

COLB

TCBI

How To Invest $1,000 In Regional Banks For 2025: Top Wall Street Analyst Reveals His Top Picks

U.S. Treasury's Yellen Says Banking Supervision Is Critically Important To Reduce Risk Of Bank Failures, Financial Crises; Asked About Trump Considering Moves To Shrink Or Eliminate Bank Regulators, Says Current U.S. System Is Not Broken; Warns Against Interfering With Appropriate Regulation Of Bank Capital, Liquidity, Risk Taking To Ensure Sound Banking System

Overdraft <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36272398/us-bank-slammed-for-illegally-collecting-millions-in-overdraft-fees-forced-to-pay-up-americans-are-f">issuers</a> including American Credit Unions, Consumer Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, and the Mississippi Bankers Association, have jointly filed a lawsuit challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau&#8216;s new decision.
What Happened: The U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-financial-protection-bureau">watchdog agency for consumer finance</a> decided to cap the overdraft fees which can add up to $5 billion in annual fee savings to the consumers, or $225 per household that pays overdraft fees.
&#8220;For far too long, the largest banks have exploited a legal loophole that has drained billions of dollars from Americans&#8217; deposit accounts,&#8221; said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. &#8220;The CFPB is cracking down on these excessive junk fees and requiring big banks to come clean about the interest rate they&#8217;re charging on overdraft loans.&#8221;
However, banking and other lending institutions have opposed this move.
According to Consumer Bankers Association president and CEO Lindsey Johnson, &#8220;The CFPB's rule on overdraft services harms Americans who need it most—including the 26 million Americans who don&#8217;t have access to credit and thus stand to lose the most if overdraft services are restricted.&#8221;
The CBA includes JPMorgan Chase, Citi, TD Bank, BMO Bank, and Santander. American Bankers Association&#8217;s president and CEO Rob Nichols said, &#8220;CFPB's final overdraft rule exceeds the Bureau's statutory authority, ignores thoughtful industry and stakeholder feedback, and will harm the very consumers the CFPB claims to protect.&#8221;
&#8220;Financial hardships have serious consequences on families, and overdraft programs provide an affordable lifeline in these circumstances,&#8221; said America's Credit Unions president and CEO Jim Nussle. &#8220;The association is going to continue to fight through legal action to reverse this grave mistake from Director Chopra,&#8221; he added.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42454495/microsoft-expects-800-million-impairment-charge-due-to-gms-cruise-exit-but-analysts-say-its-a-step-in-the-right-direction-for-automaker">Microsoft Expects $800 Million Impairment Charge Due To GM&#8217;s Cruise Exit, Analyst Says It&#8217;s A &#8216;Step In The Right Direction&#8217; For Automaker</a>
Why It Matters: According to CFPB&#8217;s new rules, lending institutions would have to choose one of the three options when charging for overdrafts.
The first one is to cap their overdraft fee at $5 per instance, while the second option is to cap their fee at an amount that can cover costs and losses. The third option gives freedom to the institution to charge discretionary fees and disclose the terms of their overdraft loan just like other loans.
According to Chopra, &#8220;Consumers have paid an estimated $280 billion in overdraft fees over the past two decades, including roughly $9 billion in 2022.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Many consumers have been hit by multiple fees in a day, because some banks have processed payments to trigger more and more overdraft fees. <a href="https://t.co/ItYPm1ZDnK">https://t.co/ItYPm1ZDnK</a>
&mdash; Rohit Chopra (@chopracfpb) <a href="https://twitter.com/chopracfpb/status/1867258208936472988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Price Action: Several U.S. bank stocks took a hit on Thursday after the CFPB finalized the rule.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stock</td>
<td>Closing price on Dec. 12, 2024</td>
<td>Change</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>)</td>
<td>$70.80</td>
<td>-1.12%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</td>
<td>$241.53</td>
<td>-0.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>)</td>
<td>$71.43</td>
<td>-0.74%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>)</td>
<td>$591.61</td>
<td>-0.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>)</td>
<td>$127.91</td>
<td>0.25%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>, the SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>) fell 1.1%, while the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) declined 1.2%.
Regional banks were affected, too.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stock</td>
<td>Closing price on Dec. 12, 2024</td>
<td>Change</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Flagstar Financial Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLG#NYSE">FLG</a>)</td>
<td>$11.05</td>
<td>-2.13%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>)</td>
<td>$45.54</td>
<td>-1.49%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>)</td>
<td>$25.05</td>
<td>-1.38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>)</td>
<td>$17.17</td>
<td>-1.27%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42460199/jpmorgan-reiterates-underweight-rating-on-supermicro-maintains-the-lowest-target-price-among-the-17-tracked-analysts">SMCI Stock Receives Harshest Price Target Among 17 Tracked Analysts As JPMorgan Maintains Underweight Rating On Super Micro: &#8216;No Significant Movement Of Orders&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Regulations

General

US Lenders File Joint Lawsuit Against Consumer Finance Watchdog For Capping Overdraft Fees: Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Citigroup Stocks In Focus

Merger and acquisitions activity peaked in the United States in 2021, but after SPACs got shellacked and the Biden administration took a harsher view of large-scale mergers, deals became fewer and further between.
This trend is expected to reverse in 2025 as the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates and a more M&amp;A-friendly Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enters the fold. Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect many <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-sachs-sees-more-larger-162800585.html">larger-scale deals</a> to be explored in the next 12 months, and one may already be underway as Mondelez International (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MLDZ#NASDAQ">MLDZ</a>) is again considering purchasing chocolate conglomerate Hershey Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HSY#NYSE">HSY</a>).
Today, we'll explore five more stocks that could be M&amp;A targets in 2025.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How We Made Our Picks</h2>
Fitch Ratings has identified <a href="https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/us-corporate-m-a-could-accelerate-in-2025-credit-implications-mixed-02-12-2024">several sectors</a> with ample dry powder and legroom for acquisitions, such as homebuilding and construction, aerospace, gaming and leisure, healthcare, banking, and (of course) tech. We looked for companies in these industries and narrowed down our selections based on growth potential, brand recognition, financial position, and number of potential suitors. These are primarily mid-size firms with market caps between $5 and $12 billion.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BROS#NYSE">BROS</a>)</h3>
If you're annoyed waiting in long lines at Starbucks or Dunkin&#8217; for your morning coffee, you aren't alone. Even with mobile orders and online promos, drive-thru lines are a constant pressure point for big chains, and as coffee prices continue to rise, customers might consider eschewing the line altogether.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="304" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/Bros-1024x304.png" alt="" class="wp-image-690339" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/Bros-1024x304.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/Bros-300x89.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/Bros-768x228.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/Bros.png 1302w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Artisan coffee chains like Dutch Bros might be a way for bigger companies to gain a competitive edge without sacrificing quality. BROS is a fast-growing coffee chain with over 900 stores in the United States, mainly in the Western part of the country, that prides itself on quick drive-thru experiences and attentive service. While 900 stores might seem quaint to giants like Starbucks, this is impressive growth from the 135 stores in operation in 2009, and the company also sells its name-brand varieties online. Dutch Bros revenue growth has continued its steady ascent, and gross profits have more than doubled since 2020. BROS is a takeover target thanks to these expanding profits, minimal debt load, strong brand recognition, and potentially untapped markets in the coffee-crazed northeastern United States.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBA#NASDAQ">WBA</a>)</h3>
Walgreens has long been a takeover target, but realistic dealmaking scenarios have failed to materialize, and the stock has been stuck in a multi-year decline. While a public acquisition has eluded WBA, 2025 could be the year the company returns to private markets.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="304" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/WBA-1024x304.png" alt="" class="wp-image-690340" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/WBA-1024x304.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/WBA-300x89.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/WBA-768x228.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163047/WBA.png 1302w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
On December 10, news broke that Sycamore Partners was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42421855/walgreens-stock-jumps-on-report-of-potential-private-equity-sale-what-you-need-to-know">exploring an acquisition</a> of Walgreens, who intend to take the company private and potentially split up its divisions. WBA stock has plummeted from a $100 billion market cap in 2015 to just $8.5 billion at the end of 2024, making a private market acquisition much more feasible.
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Roku Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>)</h3>
Roku's stock chart will forever be distorted by the COVID-19 pandemic and meme stock craze, which saw its price jump from $100 to $500 in less than a year. When rates began rising in early 2022, ROKU was decimated and has traded under $100 per share for the better part of the last two years. But Netflix and Disney+ have shown that streaming services are the new way Americans watch TV, and Roku provides hardware and software to bring these services into living rooms.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="299" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ROKU-1024x299.png" alt="" class="wp-image-690341" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ROKU-1024x299.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ROKU-300x88.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ROKU-768x224.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ROKU.png 1300w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
ROKU made a record $1.5 billion in gross profits in 2023 thanks to more customers ditching cable for streaming services requiring Roku's products, such as smart TVs, streaming sticks, and the all-new Roku Ultra, the company's fastest and highest-quality device. ROKU's market cap is just under $12 billion, which is couch cushion cash for companies like Disney, Netflix, or Apple that could benefit from adding a hardware supplier that can entice potential customers to sign up for their services (and steer them from the competition).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZM#NASDAQ">ZM</a>)</h3>
Another company with a rollercoaster stock chart is Zoom, the video conferencing service that kept people connected during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom found itself in the right place at the right time, and its stock exploded from $76 in January 2020 to nearly $500 by the start of November. But by August 2022, the stock had given up all its COVID gains and settled back under $100.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="300" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ZM-1024x300.png" alt="" class="wp-image-690342" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ZM-1024x300.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ZM-300x88.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ZM-768x225.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163048/ZM.png 1302w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
ZM shares have traded under the $100 mark for most of the last two years, but the previous three months have shown the stock shaking off the cobwebs. In October, ZM's 50-day moving average made a bullish cross over the 200-day MA, and there's optimism that Zoom's infrastructure, brand recognition, and return to positive sales growth will make it a desirable acquisition in 2025. With a $26 billion market cap, Zoom needs a buyer with deep pockets like Google, Microsoft, or Apple, but the company has plenty of positive free cash flow and a sturdy balance sheet.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">SPDR Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>)</h3>
Now, no one is actually looking to acquire a banking ETF. However, the small and mid-size bank sector is ripe for consolidation, and the performance of this index shows how much optimism has flooded the industry since Donald Trump's election night victory. In 2023, the number of FDIC-insured commercial banks <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/184536/number-of-fdic-insured-us-commercial-bank-institutions/">grew to 4,470</a>, the first expansion in more than two decades (over 8,000 banks were insured in 2000). Many market analysts believe this to be a one-time blip and expect consolidation to resume under new FTC leadership.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="300" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163103/KRE-1024x300.png" alt="" class="wp-image-690343" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163103/KRE-1024x300.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163103/KRE-300x88.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163103/KRE-768x225.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12163103/KRE.png 1302w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
The S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF got a massive boost on the Wednesday following the presidential election as a deregulation agenda paves the way for bank mergers and acquisitions. KRE is a relatively small fund with only $5.7 billion in assets under management, but it holds a diverse range of regional banking stocks. Over 140 banks and financial services firms fill the index, ranging from large caps like Truist Financial ($60 billion market cap) to niche local banks like Atlantic Union Bancshares (under $4 billion market cap). Selecting which of the more than 4,000 banks will be acquired is a monumental task; buying this small ETF is a way to take advantage of the overall M&amp;A trend.
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Opinion

BROS

MLDZ

ROKU

5 Merger and Acquisition Targets to Buy Before Trump Takes Over

<a href="https://www.clevelandfed.org/collections/press-releases/2024/pr-20241206-presidents-speech-fourth-district-on-economy-and-monetary-policy" title="https://www.clevelandfed.org/collections/press-releases/2024/pr-20241206-presidents-speech-fourth-district-on-economy-and-monetary-policy">https://www.clevelandfed.org/collections/press-releases/2024/pr-20241206-presidents-speech-fourth-district-on-economy-and-monetary-policy</a>
&nbsp;

Fed's Hammack Says The Banking System Is In A Very Healthy Place; Consumers Really Supporting Economy, Household Balance Sheets Solid

The regional banking sector has spent much of the last two years making headlines for all the wrong reasons. <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/resources/resolutions/bank-failures/in-brief/2023">Bank failures</a> like Silicon Valley, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank rocked the sector, and the SPDR Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) dropped more than 40% at the end of 2023.
Investors remained on edge to start 2024 following another pair of failures, but the sector has rebounded following the Federal Reserve's rate-cut strategy and the 2024 U.S. presidential election results.
The incoming Trump administration is expected to replace several top regulators, such as Linda Khan (at the FTC), Rohit Chopra (CFPB), and Gary Gensler (SEC), which could create an atmosphere for more mergers and acquisitions through less stringent regulation.
Regional banks stand to be some of the biggest beneficiaries of this attitude change, and KRE has already jumped 18% in the last month.
Let&#8217;s take a look at five of the most promising regional bank stocks to buy ahead of the new crop of regulators.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How We Narrowed It Down to Six Stocks to Buy</h2>
Looser capital guidelines and diminished regulatory scrutiny will benefit plenty of firms in the finance sector. We trimmed our regional bank stock list down to five based on the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>Beneficiary of Relaxed Deregulation &#8211; Several banking rules involving capital requirements (like Basel III) and liquidity standards could be relaxed during a second Trump admin, in addition to a more friendly M&amp;A environment. Regional banks can't meet these requirements as efficiently as larger national banks, so deregulation often benefits smaller banks.</li>
<li>Valuation Metrics &#8211; The banks on our list have affordable stocks compared to their sector peers based on metrics like Price-to-Earnings (P/E), Price-to-Sales (P/S), and Price-to-Book (P/B) rates.</li>
<li>Dividend Yield &#8211; If you own bank stocks, you want to be compensated with stock price appreciation and dividend income. These regional banks all pay higher dividend yields than the industry average.</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Six Regional Banks to Buy</h2>
Based on the above criteria, here are five regional bank stocks to consider adding to your portfolio before a second Trump administration, and its new crop of top regulators, sets up shop in Washington.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">US Bancorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USB#NYSE">USB</a>)</h3>
US Bancorp&#8217;s roots date back to the Civil War when it was awarded the 24th national bank charter of the United States. Today, it&#8217;s one of the largest regional banks in the United States, with a market cap of over $83 billion and 68,000 employees. USB shares have lagged in 2024, with a 23% year-to-date gain compared to 30% from KRE, but looser regulations could be a tailwind as the bank <a href="https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/company-blog/article-library/us-bancorp-completes-acquisition-of-union-bank.html">acquired MUFG Union Bank</a> in 2022 to expand operations into California, Oregon, and Washington. The stock has reasonable fundamental metrics like a 16.5 P/E ratio and 1.97 P/S ratio and pays a 3.73% dividend yield.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133051/USB-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670667" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133051/USB-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133051/USB-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133051/USB-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133051/USB.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">KeyCorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KEY#NYSE">KEY</a>)</h3>
KeyCorp has a market cap under $20 billion and less reach than bigger regional banks like US Bancorp, but the stock makes our list thanks to a combination of good value, high dividend yield, and potential growth from deregulation. The bank has two segments: Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking, with the commercial wing focused on small and mid-size business services. KeyBanc Capital Markets is the company's M/A wheelhouse, having negotiated more than 500 clients on mergers in the mid-size business space. KEY stock has the highest P/E ratio of banks on our list at 19.4 but rewards shareholders with a 4.17% dividend yield, and its P/B rate is bottom third in the sector at 1.3.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133059/KEY-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670668" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133059/KEY-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133059/KEY-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133059/KEY-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133059/KEY.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Regions Financial Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>)</h3>
Regions Financial doesn't have a hundred-plus-year history like US Bancorp or KeyCorp, but it does offer a variety of banking and wealth management services to clients across the southern region. RF shares have actually outperformed KRE so far in 2024 (42% vs 30%), and its debt/equity level of 0.35 is the lowest of our selections, indicating a well-capitalized bank poised to benefit from more risk-taking. The stock pays a 3.66% dividend yield with a 13.4 P/E ratio and 1.48 P/B ratio.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133104/RF-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670669" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133104/RF-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133104/RF-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133104/RF-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133104/RF.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Truist Financial Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TFC#NYSE">TFC</a>)</h3>
Formed during the merger of SunTrust Bank and BB&amp;T Corp, Truist Financial is the second-largest regional bank on our list, and one of the reasons is that KRE is up more than 30% this year. TFC shares have matched the regional banking ETF performance almost penny for penny in 2024, but the stock remains well below its 2022 all-time high. Truist has the lowest P/B ratio on our list at 1.08, pays a 4.36% dividend yield, and recently sold off its insurance and asset management subsidiaries to improve its liquidity and capitalization situation. Truist mainly serves states east of the Mississippi River but plans to expand operations in the Sun Belt. These plans could benefit from increased M/A activity and deregulation in the next few years.
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133110/TFC-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670670" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133110/TFC-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133110/TFC-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133110/TFC-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133110/TFC.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">M&amp;T Bank (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTB#NYSE">MTB</a>)</h3>
M&amp;T Bank (which stands for Manufacturers and Traders) is one of the nation&#8217;s oldest banks, with predecessors tracing back as far as 1856. MTB has a $36 billion market cap and pays a 2.45% dividend, the lowest on our list but easily sustained by the company's income. The stock has been one of 2024's biggest success stories, posting an astonishing 60% gain in 2024, which doubled the regional banking ETF. Following the bank's strong October earnings report, more gains could be on the horizon, causing many analysts to upgrade their ratings and price targets. M&amp;T Bank has a 16.3 P/E ratio and a 1.4 P/B ratio, and its net profit margin of 18.7 is bested only by Regions Financial.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133115/MTB-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670671" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133115/MTB-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133115/MTB-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133115/MTB-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133115/MTB.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Discover Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DFS#NYSE">DFS</a>)&nbsp;</h3>
Discover Financial has been linked with Capital One since the latter announced intentions to purchase the former for $35 billion in February. However, the deal has been in limbo since New York regulators began investigating the acquisition for possible antitrust violations. DFS shares traded in a tight range from July until the week of the election, but both DFS and COF stocks immediately gapped up on the Wednesday following Trump's victory. Investors anticipate the deal going through in a less harsh regulatory environment, so DFS shares could continue to rally in the weeks ahead.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="395" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133121/DFS-1024x395.png" alt="" class="wp-image-670672" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133121/DFS-1024x395.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133121/DFS-300x116.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133121/DFS-768x296.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/29133121/DFS.png 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Keep in mind that campaign promises don't always materialize in reality, and the previous Trump administration was often as much bark as bite. Less regulation and more M&amp;A are expected, but investments based on political overtures are short-term bets by nature. Don't hang on to losing stocks if the regulatory environment we get is different than anticipated.
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6 Regional Bank Stocks to Buy Before Trump Names New SEC Leadership

Small-cap stocks are positioned for significant upside in 2025, driven by recovering earnings, potential corporate tax cuts, and favorable valuations, according to Brian Manby, investment strategy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/exclusives?page=5">analyst at WisdomTree. </a>
In an exclusive interview with Benzinga, Manby shared his optimism for the Russell 2000 Index – as tracked by the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) – which has already surged 23% year-to-date and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/small-cap/24/11/42171130/russell-2000-dow-sp-500-all-achieve-record-highs-in-wall-streets-historic-day-bitcoin-gold-tumble-whats-driving-markets-monday">achieved record highs on Monday</a>, surpassing its previous peak from November 2021.
Manby said their domestic focus positions them as key beneficiaries of U.S.-centered policies, such as tax cuts and tariffs, while their relatively lower valuations create a compelling investment case for investors unwilling to excessively concentrate their portfolio on large caps.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Small Caps, Regional Banks: Positioned For Growth In 2025</h3>
The small-cap rally in 2024 has been particularly strong in the regional banking sector, with the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) soaring 35% this year. 
This outperformance was driven by combination of factors, including Federal Reserve rate cuts, U.S. economic resilience, and the anticipation of deregulation under a Republican-controlled Congress. 
The expert stressed that regional banks could continue to benefit in the coming year as policy tailwinds strengthen their earnings potential. 
"We think there&#8217;s a potential opportunity for a catch-up rally, hopefully bolstered by the deregulatory agenda of the incoming administration. We are pretty optimistic on small cap financials and regional banks in particular." he said.
&#8220;Any sort of pressure that the incoming administration can take off of the small cap financials operations would be really, really welcomed by the sector,&#8221; he added.
According to the house view, small-cap earnings projections for 2025 are optimistic, with potential upside tied to fiscal stimulus and economic expansion. Additionally, small-cap companies, with their U.S.-centric operations, stand to benefit significantly from proposed corporate tax rate reductions, such as a potential 15% tax rate championed by Republicans.
Manby also addressed the potential impact of tariffs under a Republican administration. 
"We think that the prospect of tariffs would be a bit of a greater headwind for large caps. Since small caps are more tied to the domestic economy, we think they would probably benefit," Manby said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/retail-sales/24/11/42170721/thanksgiving-dinner-gobbles-up-19-more-cash-this-year-many-holiday-hosts-already-regret-their-decision">Thanksgiving Dinner Gobbles Up 19% More Cash This Year, Many Holiday Hosts &#8216;Already Regret Their Decision&#8217;</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Small Caps Are Still Sharply Undervalued Compared To Large Caps</h3>
Discussing the valuation picture, Manby highlighted that small caps remain discounted relative to large caps, and that creates a strong opportunity for investors. 
&#8220;The Russell 2000 is still very discounted relative to the S&amp;P 500. It basically trades at about 2 standard deviations below its long term multiple versus the S&amp;P 500 and that gives us a lot of confidence in the valuation opportunity as well,&#8221; Manby stated.
Looking ahead to 2025, WisdomTree remains optimistic about the potential for small caps to outperform. "This is a great opportunity for U.S.-based investors seeking returns without paying lofty multiples," Manby said.
Furthermore, he highlighted that &#8220;ongoing potential rate cuts would certainly be beneficial within the broader small cap universe.&#8221;
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Photo: Shutterstock

EXCLUSIVE: Small Caps Hit Records As Expert Says Russell 2000 'Still Very Discounted' Compared To S&P 500

Howard Lutnick, chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald &#8211; which has about $3.53 billion in holdings &#8211; has been named as the co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s transition team. Lutnick will lead the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Top Holdings Of Lutnick&#8217;s Firm: According <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1024896/000092963824003880/0000929638-24-003880-index.html">to</a> Cantor Fitzgerald&#8217;s third-quarter 13F filings, top holdings of the firm include SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), GCM Grosvenor Inc.(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GCMG#NASDAQ">GCMG</a>), and Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RUM#NASDAQ">RUM</a>).
In the September quarter, Lutnick&#8217;s financial services firm purchased about 1.17 million shares of Tesla with 1.74 million put options in Q3. It bumped up its call options by 4,967% to 152,000 shares from the <a href="https://13f.info/13f/000092963824003880/compare/000092963824002803">quarter-ended in July</a>. The total value of the fund&#8217;s exposure to Tesla stood at $804 million in Q3.
Cantor Fitzgerald also increased its position in Nvidia by 7,015%, <a href="https://13f.info/13f/000092963824003880/compare/000092963824002803">compared to the second quarter</a>, with a total holding of 3.56 million shares in Q3. It increased Nvidia puts in Q3 by 1,268% to 5.46 million shares and Nvidia call options by 3,213% to 778,600 shares. The total exposure to Nvidia in value terms stood at $1.192 billion.
The fund had 1.23 million of put options and 600,000 call options on SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF TR representing a total value of $1.05 billion in Q3. GCM Grosvenor and Rumble reflected 2.1% and 1.2% of the fund&#8217;s total holdings, valued at $73.03 million and $42.04 million, respectively.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/treasuries/24/11/42157400/economist-peter-schiff-criticizes-trumps-treasury-pick-scott-bessent-says-he-will-have-to-find-buyers-for-trillions-in-new-debt-each-year-his-job-is-to-continue-the-ponzi">Economist Peter Schiff Criticizes Trump&#8217;s Treasury Pick, Scott Bessent, Says He Will Have To Find Buyers For Trillions In New Debt Each Year</a>
Why It Matters: Lutnick was also considered as a top pick for the Secretary of Treasury along with Scott Bessent. Tesla CEO and Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-lead Elon Musk <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/24/11/42044642/trump-appears-frustrated-as-elon-musk-chimes-in-on-treasury-secretary-adds-more-names-to-a-list-of-potential-picks">rallied for Lutnick</a> in a post on his social media platform, X, calling on others to weigh in on the appointment.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Would be interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> to consider feedback. My view fwiw is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a> will actually enact change. Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change… <a href="https://t.co/igGLZOJ8wz">https://t.co/igGLZOJ8wz</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1857819784865362211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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However, Bessent was appointed the Treasury Secretary. According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/41909846/trumps-treasury-pick-frontrunner-scott-bessent-could-shift-wall-street-crypto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">betting markets</a>, Bessent was a frontrunner with an 82% probability of securing the nomination.
The third-quarter 13F filing from Bessent's Key Square Group fund shows that they have liquidated all their holding in the September quarter.
In the <a href="https://13f.info/13f/000117266124003417-key-square-capital-management-llc-q2-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">second quarter</a>, the fund had a highly concentrated portfolio, with equal investments in two banking-focused ETFs: the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) and the SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>), each making up 50% of the fund.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/42150794/trump-picks-hedge-fund-exec-scott-bessent-as-treasury-secretary-what-president-elects-choice-means-for-americas-economic-future" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Picks Hedge Fund Exec Scott Bessent As Treasury Secretary: What President-Elect's Choice Means For America's Economic Future</a></li>
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Photo courtesy: Cantor Fitzgerald

Politics

GCMG

Trump's Commerce Secretary Pick Howard Lutnick's Fund Owns $1.19B In Nvidia, $804M In Tesla: Here Is A Look At His Portfolio

Economist Peter Schiff has criticized President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/42150794/trump-picks-hedge-fund-exec-scott-bessent-as-treasury-secretary-what-president-elects-choice-means-for-americas-economic-future">decision to pick</a> hedge fund executive Scott Bessent as the new U.S. Treasury Secretary.
What Happened: According to his post on X (formerly Twitter), Schiff took a jibe at Trump and quipped that Bessent should be called the &#8220;Secretary of the Debt&#8221; instead of &#8220;Secretary of the Treasury.&#8221;
Schiff said the new Treasury Secretary&#8217;s job would be &#8220;to continue the Ponzi,&#8221; because Trump has promised tax cuts during his tenure.
Reducing tax collections could lead to higher government borrowings in the debt market, however, Trump remains confident that his proposed task force DOGE or the Department of Government Efficiency would successfully <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42131911/donald-trump-appointed-doge-to-have-marginal-impact-saving-50-100-billion-says-analyst-as-elon-musk-aims-to-target-500-billion-plus-in-federal-expenditures">reduce &#8220;wasteful spending&#8221;</a> without the need to borrow more.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Trump picked Scott Bessent to be the new Secretary of the Treasury. But his actual title should be Secretary of the Debt. His job is to continue the Ponzi. He must find buyers for trillions in new Treasury debt each year and convince current holders to roll it over as it matures.
&mdash; Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSchiff/status/1860323656796185017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/42150794/trump-picks-hedge-fund-exec-scott-bessent-as-treasury-secretary-what-president-elects-choice-means-for-americas-economic-future">Trump Picks Hedge Fund Exec Scott Bessent As Treasury Secretary: What President-Elect&#8217;s Choice Means For America&#8217;s Economic Future</a>
As Treasury Secretary, Bessent will replace outgoing Secretary Janet Yellen, overseeing financial institutions and combating financial crimes at a time when <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/11/42140842/sp-500-faces-volatile-2025-as-inflation-boom-could-return-bank-of-america-strategist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the national debt has ballooned to $36 trillion</a>.
It&#8217;s not just the ballooning deficit that is a cause of concern &#8211; the interest payments on this debt set the alarm bells ringing.
Billionaire investor Ray Dalio <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40934156/billionaire-ray-dalio-warns-fed-faces-tough-road-ahead-balancing-interest-rate-cuts-and-enormous-us">warned that the U.S.</a> may have to resort to monetizing its debt, similar to Japan&#8217;s approach. This could lead to depreciated currency values and lower bond yields.
&#8220;I see a big depreciation in the value of that debt through a combination of artificial low real rates, so you won&#8217;t be compensated,&#8221; Dalio said.
The government has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40869188/robert-kiyosaki-rings-alarm-bells-over-soaring-us-debt-the-dollar-is-trash">already spent $1 trillion</a> on footing the interest bill on its national debt this year.
Why It Matters: The role of Treasury Security has been previously criticized by other economists as well. Gordon Johnson, chief executive officer and founder at GLJ Research, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42088394/economist-gordon-johnson-slams-federal-reserve-for-asset-owner-centric-policies-says-fed-needs-to-focus-on-the-real-economy-over-stock-markets">recently said in a podcast</a> that there is constant intervention by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen along with Federal Reserve's Chairman, Jerome Powell, whenever there is a spike in the benchmark yields.
"In early 2024, the Fed cut its pace of quantitative tightening by $30 billion a month, which is just the amount they were letting roll off. And recently, Janet Yellen announced that she is going to buy $4 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds per week. There is just constant intervention by these entities whenever the yields start to spike. It's them trying to disallow any dysfunction or rather I would argue functioning in the Treasury markets."
Also read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42088394/economist-gordon-johnson-slams-federal-reserve-for-asset-owner-centric-policies-says-fed-needs-to-focus-on-the-real-economy-over-stock-markets">Gordon Johnson Slams Federal Reserve For Asset-Owner Centric Policies, Says Jerome Powell Needs To Focus On &#8216;Real Economy&#8217;: &#8216;&#8230;The Stock Market Will Be Fine&#8217;</a>
In October, Bessent assured that a new Trump administration would <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/10/41308042/trump-adviser-defends-ex-presidents-economic-policies-strong-dollar-would-natural" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">support a strong dollar</a>, countering previous suggestions of a weaker dollar to boost exports. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/41909846/trumps-treasury-pick-frontrunner-scott-bessent-could-shift-wall-street-crypto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">betting markets</a>, Bessent was a frontrunner with an 82% probability of securing the nomination. His appointment could significantly impact Wall Street and the crypto sector.
Scott Bessent&#8217;s Holdings As Per 13F Filings
The latest <a href="https://13f.info/13f/000117266124004716-key-square-capital-management-llc-q3-2024">third-quarter 13F filing</a> from Bessent's Key Square Group fund shows that they have liquidated all their holding in the September quarter.
In the <a href="https://13f.info/13f/000117266124003417-key-square-capital-management-llc-q2-2024">second quarter</a>, the fund had a highly concentrated portfolio, with equal investments in two banking-focused ETFs: the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) and the SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>), each making up 50% of the fund.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/11/42137295/as-mstrs-michael-saylor-says-warren-buffett-is-destroying-berkshire-capital-analyst-suggests-overpricedhot-stock-market-could-be-the-reason-oracle-of-omaha-is-sitting-on-325b-cash">As MSTR&#8217;s Michael Saylor Says Warren Buffett Is &#8216;Destroying&#8217; Berkshire Capital, Analyst Suggests &#8216;Overpriced…Hot Stock Market&#8217; Could Be The Reason Oracle Of Omaha Is Sitting On $325B Cash</a></li>
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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Economist Peter Schiff Criticizes Trump's Treasury Pick, Scott Bessent, Says He Will Have To Find Buyers For Trillions In New Debt Each Year: 'His Job Is To Continue The Ponzi'

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