Thursday
Federal Reserve’s Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review— the 2013 results of the Fed’s stress tests of the nation’s banks, including 18 publicly traded, will be released. This is huge news for some of the big players. Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) will be at the top of everyone’s list to review first, as the CCAR results may implicate whether the bank will be able to raise its upcoming dividend. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) may also be closely watched as it continues to trade below book value (like B of A), and the results of the stress test may draw more confidence from investors.
Current Account — a quarterly look at the country’s foreign trade activity. The Current Account can show pressures on the dollar in transactions with international partners, which is important for banks to monitor as they both operate and extend credit abroad.
Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index — a weekly glimpse at consumer spending, which can provide important indicators of consumer appetite for credit. Since lending is a primary source of income for banks, increased consumer spending with improved credit demand is a positive environment for growth.
Friday
Consumer Sentiment — a monthly poll of American households, which provides data on the average consumer’s opinion of the economy. When sentiment is positive, higher spending and borrowing can occur — a positive opportunity for banks to increase their lending operations.
Federal Reserve Summary of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Commercial Banks — a weekly summation of the nation’s banks’ accounting. The collection of data allows an investor to see which components make up the collective balance sheet, as well as the percentage changes since the last-measured period. It provides important detail on the progress made by the nation’s banks to increase revenue generating business.
Only one will matter
In the end, the data from the Fed’s CCAR will be the most talked-about and the most analyzed of any mentioned above. The results of the banks’ stress tests have been much speculated about and looked forward to with great anticipation. Since it has the most to gain from a positive result, make sure to watch how Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) moves after the results are announced — it’s sure to make a splash on Thursday.
The article The 8 Announcements Bank Investors Must Watch Next Week originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Jessica Alling.
Fool contributor Jessica Alling has no position in any stocks mentioned, but you can contact her here. The Motley Fool recommends Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool owns shares of Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.
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