Bank Stock Roundup: JPMorgan, Wells Fargo Settle Lawsuits

Over the last five trading days, performance of major bank stocks has been relatively stable. Whispers of another rate hike happening soon dominated the headlines as the key economic data points toward steady domestic growth. All eyes will now be on Fed Chairwoman, Janet Yellen’s speech in Jackson Hole, WY.

Coming to the bank specific headlines, resolution of litigations and probes related to legacy matters and business misconducts dominated the banking space. While the settlement amounts were not significant, the stringent actions by the regulators are commendable.

(Read: Bank Stock Roundup for the week ending Aug 12, 2016)

BANKS-MAJOR REGIONAL Industry Price Index

BANKS-MAJOR REGIONAL Industry Price Index

Major Developments of the Week

1. Closing the doors on yet another matter pertaining to its acquisition of Washington Mutual Inc.’s (“WaMu”) banking business during the 2008 financial crisis, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) announced ending the dispute with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") and Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB) . Per a regulatory filing, following the court approval, the company will receive $645 million as part of the deal (read more: JPMorgan Ends WaMu Disputes with FDIC and Deutsche Bank).

2. Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) was ordered to pay $4 million to settle accusations regarding its involvement in illegal student loan practices like charging illegal fees, misrepresenting payments, and not updating inaccurate credit report data. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said that Wells Fargo would illegally charge consumers late fees if they made payments on the last day of their grace periods (read more:Wells Fargo Ordered to Pay $4 Million for Illegal Student Loan Practices).

3. In yet other news related to Wells Fargo, its mortgage unit – Wells Fargo Bank NA – has been ordered to pay $3.45 million to some clients as a result of a processing failure that delayed the mailing of letters to approximately 8,000 homeowners in bankruptcy. This shortened their notice period about changes to monthly mortgage payment amounts.

As per the letter from Wells Fargo filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, the mortgage unit agreed to pay the amount in a settlement deal with the Department of Justice's U.S. Trustee Program. Additionally, the company consented to resolve the mailing error and provide credits and refunds to affected homeowners.

This problem was discovered last year, driven by enquires by an independent compliance monitor, who was hired by the bank as part of an $81.6 million settlement with the Justice Department.

4. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) and AT&T, Inc. (NYSE:T) have put an end to the legal tussle over a trademark infringement. Per a filing with a Manhattan federal court, the companies have dropped allegations against each other with prejudice, which means that the charges cannot be brought again (read more: Citigroup Ends Legal Battle Over 'ThankYou' Trademark)

Price Performance

Overall, the performance of banking stocks indicated optimistic stance. Here is how the seven major stocks performed:

In the last five trading sessions, Wells Fargo edged down 0.6%. On the other hand, Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:C) shares increased 2%

Over the last six months, BofA and Citigroup were the best performers, with their shares surging 26.1% and 21%, respectively. Also, JPMorgan’s shares climbed 15.9%.

What's Next in the Banking Space?

Banking stocks are expected to continue performing in a similar way unless any unforeseen incident occurs.