JPMorgan anticipates net interest income to rise by around $4 billion this year, down from its earlier expectations of $4.5 billion, due to slower loan growth and a drop in long-term interest rates during the second quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Moreover, JPMorgan’s second quarter total loans were only up 4% year-over-year, compared to 6% int eh first quarter and 7% for all of 2016. Others are also feeling the impact, with Wells Fargo’s total average loans up just 1% year-over-year, compared to 4% for the first quarter.
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Bankers are witnessing diminished demand for big loans out of businesses partly due to uncertainty over policy action on Capitol Hill. In addition, while the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes have helped banks earn more on loans, benefits were partially pared down by declines in long-term rates, with yields on Treasuries falling over the second quarter.
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund includes JPM 10.8%, WFC 8.2% and C 6.0% among its top holdings. The bank sub-sector makes up 44.6% of XLF’s portfolio.
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