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The Institutional Risk Analyst
© 2003-2025 | Whalen Global Advisors LLC All Rights Reserved in All Media | ISSN 2692-1812
Banks | Markets | Finance


Fear & Loathing on Wall Street: GS, MS, AMP, SCHW, RJF, SF
Some of the largest banks by assets have dropped from the top quartile into the bottom half of the distribution for the top 100 banks

R. Christopher Whalen
Apr 88 min read
387 views


HOOD: Is the Bloom off the Rose?
And just why do financial firms like HOOD, SoFi Technologies (SOFI)Â and Block (XYZ)Â talk about EBITDA in their investor materials?

R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 134 min read
261 views


Is Ameriprise Overvalued? Is PennyMac Cheap vs the REITs?
We think it is notable that AMP has underperformed the other members of the group other than SCHW over the past year.

R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 37 min read
178 views


WGA Bank Top 100 Index | Q1 2025
GS had not appeared in the top 25 since we began the indices a year ago, while MS had made it three times.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 294 min read
190 views


Update: Charles Schwab | SCHW
The SVB duration management from 2020 onward was recklessly negligent by any reasonable standard

R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 225 min read
340 views


Update: Top Bank Asset Managers
As and when GS can exit the loss leading credit card relationship with AAPL, the performance of the business should improve significantly.

R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 30, 20248 min read
231 views


Powell Overshoots the Runway; Update: American Express & Charles Schwab
Last year, when a lot of people were predicting the demise of SCHW, we told our readers to calm down.

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 23, 20247 min read
707 views


Should TD Bank Rethink US Retail?
WFC is not even out of dodge yet, but TD has cut off the fingers of one hand in yakuza style and is now headed for years of misery

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 16, 20246 min read
685 views


Universal Banks: Should TD Buy Schwab & Sell Its US Operation?
SCHW needs to take advantage of their strong operating leverage and repair some needless damage done during COVID by inept bank management.

R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 25, 20247 min read
726 views


Bank Earnings: JPM, BAC, AX, GS & SCHW
GS saw loss provisions fall slightly in Q2 2024 to $282 million but the number was still $600 million in the first half of the year...

R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 17, 20245 min read
479 views


Who Leads the Asset Gatherers? | SCHW, MS, GS, AMP, RJF & SF
The larger banks led the way in January and February, but today the top 25 names in terms of total return include many smaller banks.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 3, 20247 min read
605 views


The Bull Case for Large Banks
Big banks have big CRE exposures, too. So what drives this marvelous progression up the wall of worry?

R. Christopher Whalen
May 15, 20247 min read
570 views


Update: Bank of America & Charles Schwab
BAC is in big trouble, not due to credit but because of sub-par asset returns. BAC’s return on assets has fallen to just 0.8% in Q1 2024

R. Christopher Whalen
Apr 17, 20246 min read
641 views


Charles Schwab Unwinds the QE Trade
Rising interest rates are not good for bank earnings or bank equity valuations.

R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 17, 20234 min read
1,588 views


SoftBank as Systemic Event; Update: Charles Schwab & Co
The public behavior and decision-making processes of SoftBank suggest that the organization is in trouble.

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 27, 20239 min read
1,281 views


Will Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Raise Guarantee Fees?
With a 75bp average total gfee, would the market for private label MBS return? Or would conventional lending volumes simply crater?

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 25, 20236 min read
913 views


FSOC Frets About Nonbank Risk; Goldman Sachs Stepping Back?
GS has the weakest position in terms of funding of the top-ten banks and no real narrative for the business post-Marcus.

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 21, 20236 min read
617 views


Bank Industry Review & Survey Q3 2023
The US banking industry has seen now two consecutive down quarters for net income caused by the Fed’s massive open market operations

R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 11, 20233 min read
867 views


Update: Goldman Sachs + Citigroup; Interest Rates Higher Longer?
We continue to believe that combining Citi and GS may make sense in terms of consolidating two capital markets businesses

R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 23, 20236 min read
635 views


Update: U.S. Bancorp & Goldman Sachs
We expect to see USB trading at a discount to JPM and Peer Group 1 until the bank improves its operating leverage to pre-COVID levels.

R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 20, 20235 min read
537 views
Christopher Whalen
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