3 Bank Stocks to Watch Before Q3 Earnings Next Week

Key Insights

• Bank stocks to watch before third-quarter earnings include JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
• JPMorgan and Goldman report October 13, followed by Bank of America on October 14.
• Latest valuations cluster between 12.4 and 14.2 times earnings, but their revenue drivers differ sharply.

Three bank stocks to watch before third-quarter earnings are JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Their reports arrive on October 13 and 14, giving investors an early read on lending, trading and credit quality.

The stocks enter reporting season with similar headline valuations but different operating risks. JPMorgan carries the broadest earnings base. Goldman depends more heavily on market activity, while Bank of America remains sensitive to net interest income.

This watchlist is based on confirmed reporting dates, second-quarter filings and current market data. It is not a ranking or a recommendation to buy.

Why these bank stocks to watch matter now

Large banks can reveal changes in consumer health before many other sectors. Loan growth, card delinquencies and reserve decisions provide direct evidence about household and business conditions.

They also react differently to interest rates. Higher yields can support asset income, but funding costs and deposit competition can offset that benefit. The rate tension also appears in the recent gold outlook ahead of the Federal Reserve’s October meeting.

Market activity adds another variable. Equity issuance, mergers and bond underwriting affect investment-banking fees, while volatility can lift or reduce trading revenue.

Current valuation multiples do not settle the comparison. JPMorgan recently traded near 14.2 times earnings, Goldman near 13.8 times and Bank of America near 12.4 times. Those multiples reflect different earnings quality, capital needs and business mixes.

The chart uses reported earnings, not adjusted figures. JPMorgan’s $21.2 billion included significant gains. Its net income excluding those items was $16.9 billion, which remains well above the other two banks.

JPMorgan Tests Loan Growth Against Credit Costs

JPMorgan will release results at about 7:00 a.m. Eastern on October 13. Its conference call follows at 8:30 a.m., according to the bank’s investor-relations notice.

The second quarter set a high base. JPMorgan reported $57.3 billion of revenue and $21.2 billion of net income. Excluding significant items, net income was $16.9 billion.

Average loans rose 10% from a year earlier, while average deposits increased 7%. Net interest income climbed 10% to $25.6 billion. Those figures make balance-sheet growth the first test for third-quarter results.

Credit costs are equally important. The bank recorded $2.5 billion of credit costs, including $2.4 billion of net charge-offs. Investors should compare any reserve build with actual losses rather than treating provisions as realized defaults.

JPMorgan also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.65 per share. The October 31 payment applies to shareholders of record on October 6, adding a capital-return catalyst around the earnings report.

The main risk is expectations. JPMorgan’s broader business mix and premium valuation leave less room for weak guidance. A slowdown in lending or weaker fee income could outweigh another solid headline profit.

Goldman Sachs Faces a Market-Activity Comparison

Goldman Sachs will publish results at about 7:30 a.m. Eastern on October 13. Its earnings call begins at 9:30 a.m.

Goldman reported record second-quarter net revenue of $20.34 billion and net earnings of $6.63 billion. Earnings per share reached $20.98, while annualized return on equity was 23.5%.

That performance creates a demanding comparison. Trading and investment-banking activity must remain strong enough to offset normalization from an unusually active quarter.

Goldman’s exposure differs from consumer-focused lenders. Deal pipelines, underwriting fees and client positioning matter more than branch deposits. That makes the stock a cleaner test of capital-markets activity.

The company’s roughly 13.8 price-to-earnings multiple sits between JPMorgan and Bank of America. That does not make it automatically cheaper or safer because Goldman’s quarterly revenue can be more volatile.

Investors should watch Global Banking and Markets revenue, compensation expense and asset-management flows. Margin discipline matters if transaction activity slows from the second-quarter pace.

Bank of America Puts Net Interest Income in Focus

Bank of America will release third-quarter results at about 6:45 a.m. Eastern on October 14. The conference call starts at 8:30 a.m.

Its second-quarter net income rose to $9.1 billion, or $1.21 per diluted share. Revenue increased 15% to $31.6 billion, while net interest income gained 9% to $16.0 billion.

Average deposits topped $2.0 trillion, and average loans reached about $1.2 trillion. That balance-sheet scale makes modest changes in pricing and funding costs financially meaningful.

The latest valuation near 12.4 times earnings was the lowest of the three stocks. The discount may reflect rate sensitivity and slower-return expectations, not simply overlooked value.

Credit metrics will help distinguish operating momentum from risk expansion. Bank of America recorded $1.4 billion in provisions and $1.4 billion in net charge-offs during the second quarter.

The consumer backdrop also matters for lenders outside traditional banks. September origination data in our UPST stock analysis showed stronger loan volume alongside a still-elevated macro risk index.

What to Compare Across the Three Reports

Investors should compare net interest income, deposit costs and loan growth on the same basis. A bank can post higher interest income while earning a lower spread on its assets.

Fee income needs similar care. Trading revenue may rise during volatility, while investment-banking fees depend on completed transactions. Neither measure automatically signals recurring growth.

Capital returns form the third test. Buybacks and dividends can support per-share results, but only after credit reserves and regulatory capital requirements are satisfied.

Payment economics also remain relevant as banks defend card and wallet relationships. The Australia Apple Pay review shows how access and merchant fees are becoming regulatory issues across payment markets.

The next observable catalyst arrives October 13, when JPMorgan and Goldman publish results. Bank of America follows one day later, allowing investors to compare lending, markets revenue and credit costs across the group.

Sharron Kendi

Sharron Kendi is a seasoned crypto market analyst and writer with over three years of experience decoding blockchain trends, price movements, and market dynamics. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (Finance) from Kenyatta University, blending a solid academic foundation with a sharp eye for technical analysis and a deep understanding of on-chain data. Her work delivers clear, data-driven insights that empower investors to navigate the fast-evolving digital asset space with confidence.