At a Glance: The Q·Score

BAC scores 7.5 ("Bullish") against JPM's 7.2 ("Bullish") — a gap of 0.3 points on a ten-point scale. Both stocks sit comfortably in the same label tier, which means the comparison is less about a clear winner and more about understanding where each bank is stronger. Gaps of this size in a Showdown typically signal that the two companies are genuinely competitive across most dimensions, with one or two specific areas driving the separation.

Quality — Profitability and Capital Efficiency

JPM leads on Quality.

JPM's net profit margin — the percentage of revenue that becomes profit after all expenses — stands at 33.9%, compared to BAC's 29.0%. That 4.9-percentage-point gap is meaningful in a sector where margins are compressed by funding costs and regulatory capital requirements. JPM also posts a return on equity (ROE) of 16.5%, meaning it generates $16.50 in net income for every $100 of shareholder equity; BAC's ROE of 10.6% is a noticeably lower rate of return on the capital its shareholders have committed. On the Quality dimension, JPM's combination of higher margins and superior capital efficiency gives it a clear numerical edge over its rival this week.

Health — Balance Sheet and Execution

The Health dimension — which captures balance sheet resilience and management's track record of delivering on earnings expectations — produces one of the sharpest contrasts in this comparison. BAC's EPS beat rate (the proportion of recent quarters in which reported earnings per share exceeded analyst forecasts) is 100%, a perfect execution record across the measured period. JPM's beat rate of 75% is solid by any standard, but it falls short of BAC's unblemished consistency. For large-cap banks operating in a complex macro environment, the ability to reliably meet or exceed forecasts is a signal of both management discipline and forecast conservatism. BAC leads on Health, with its flawless beat rate the decisive factor.

Growth — Revenue, Earnings, and Surprise

JPM leads on Revenue Growth; BAC leads on Earnings Growth — and the overall edge on this dimension goes to BAC.

JPM is growing its top line faster: revenue growth of 12.7% versus BAC's 8.1%, a gap of 4.6 percentage points that reflects JPM's scale advantages and diversified business mix. However, when it comes to converting that revenue into earnings, BAC is pulling ahead sharply. BAC's earnings growth of 24.4% compares to JPM's 17.2% — a 7.2-percentage-point difference that suggests BAC is expanding its margins or managing costs more effectively at this stage of its cycle. In the context of the broader Financial Services sector, where double-digit earnings growth is not the norm, both figures are notable; BAC's 24.4% is particularly striking. The earnings growth differential, combined with BAC's 100% EPS beat rate, gives BAC the edge on the Growth dimension.

Valuation — Price Relative to Fundamentals

BAC leads on Valuation.

Forward P/E — the stock's current price divided by projected earnings per share over the next twelve months — is 11.2x for BAC versus 14.2x for JPM. For context, large-cap U.S. banks have historically traded in a forward P/E range of roughly 10x–15x, so both stocks sit within normal bounds; BAC is simply at the lower end of that range relative to JPM. The analyst consensus price target implies an upside of 11.7% from BAC's current price of $56.53, compared to just 2.6% implied upside for JPM from its current price of $333.46. BAC also appears to have more room to run within its 52-week range context given the larger gap between its current price and the consensus target. On every valuation metric available in the data, BAC shows the more attractive numbers relative to current pricing.

Sentiment — Analyst Consensus

BAC leads decisively on Sentiment.

Of the 22 analysts covering BAC, 92% carry a positive rating on the stock — a near-unanimous level of conviction that is unusual even among large-cap blue chips. JPM, covered by 21 analysts, sees only 50% with a positive rating, meaning the analyst community is essentially split down the middle on the stock. That divergence is striking given that JPM scores higher on Quality metrics like margin and ROE. One interpretation is that analysts already see JPM's strong fundamentals as priced in — consistent with the slim 2.6% implied upside from the consensus price target — while BAC's lower valuation multiple and faster earnings growth leave more room for positive re-rating in their models. BAC's 92% positive rating ratio is the single largest contributor to its overall Q·Score lead.

What the Data Shows

BAC holds a 0.3-point Q·Score advantage over JPM (7.5 vs. 7.2), with the gap driven primarily by near-unanimous analyst sentiment (92% vs. 50% positive ratings), a perfect EPS beat rate (100% vs. 75%), stronger earnings growth (24.4% vs. 17.2%), and a lower forward P/E (11.2x vs. 14.2x). JPM, by contrast, leads clearly on Quality — posting a higher net profit margin (33.9% vs. 29.0%) and a superior return on equity (16.5% vs. 10.6%) — and also grows revenue faster (12.7% vs. 8.1%). The two stocks are genuinely close across most dimensions; what separates them in the overall score is sentiment and valuation rather than any fundamental collapse in either direction.

Explore the Full Comparison

The live, interactive breakdown — updated in real time — is available at quantify.biz/compare/bac-vs-jpm.