BAC vs JPM: How Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: BAC is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BAC and JPM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BAC and JPM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Bank of America is the second-largest US bank by assets, behind JPMorgan Chase. The company is one of the four mega-bank holding companies (along with JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo) and operates across four main reporting segments. Consumer Banking is the largest retail bank in the US by deposits, serving over 60 million customers through ~3,800 branches. Global Wealth and Investment Management is one of the largest US wealth managers (anchored by Merrill Lynch). Global Banking provides commercial banking, treasury services, and investment banking to corporate and institutional clients. Global Markets provides trading services across fixed income, equities, and commodities.

Full BAC guide

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with $4.4 trillion in assets, operating under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. The company earns revenue across four core segments: Consumer and Community Banking (retail accounts, mortgages, credit cards, and auto loans), the Commercial and Investment Bank (trading, investment banking, payments, and wholesale lending), Asset and Wealth Management (investment advisory and private banking), and Corporate. In fiscal year 2025, total net revenue reached ~$182 billion, with net interest income of ~$95 billion and noninterest revenue of ~$87 billion, while full-year net income was ~$57.5 billion and earnings per share came in at $20.02. The bank holds the number one position in U.S. retail deposit market share and is the primary bank for U.S. small businesses.

Full JPM guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• BAC drivers: Net interest income from deposit franchise; Investment banking and trading recovery.
• JPM drivers: Scale and diversification across every part of banking; Trading and investment banking momentum.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Credit quality is the eternal bank risk; consumer and commercial credit losses cyclically. For JPM, the most direct risk is compression in net interest income, the bank's single largest revenue line: JPMorgan already trimmed its full-year 2026 NII guidance from $104.5 billion to ~$103 billion in April 2026, and further rate cuts could reduce that figure.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BAC if you believe its drivers more; JPM if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BAC and JPM guides.

BAC. BAC trades at a modest P/E typical of large US banks. The valuation balances the durable consumer deposit franchise and capital markets recovery against credit cycle uncertainty and regulatory capital requirements. Price-to-book around 1.1x is consistent with ROE around 10%.

JPM. JPMorgan's current TTM P/E of roughly 16x sits at the high end of its own five-year range (which averaged ~11.8x from 2021-2025) and about 23% above the broader financial services sector average, reflecting the premium investors have assigned to its scale, earnings consistency, and capital return capacity. The 20% full-year 2025 ROTCE is one of the highest among large global banks and underpins the thesis that scale and diversification translate into superior returns on equity. However, with NII guidance edged down for 2026 and credit loss provisions rising, the path to further multiple expansion is narrower than it was a year ago.

Headline figures (approximate, early 2026): BAC shows revenue (ttm) ~$100 billion, net income (ttm) ~$28 billion, eps (ttm) ~$3.50, p/e (ttm) ~13x; JPM shows revenue (ttm) ~$187 billion, full-year 2025 net revenue ~$185 billion, full-year 2025 net income ~$57.5 billion, eps (ttm) ~$20.88.

BAC and JPM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BAC and JPM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.