Economics

Citigroup Gets a Turn to Lead Bank Stocks Into Earnings Season

  • Investors will be watching first-to-report Citigroup on Monday
  • Results to test bounce in bank stocks following a lousy 2018
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. usually kicks off bank earnings season, with the company’s performance and Jamie Dimon’s commentary a widely watched signal for how peers are likely to trade. This quarter, Citigroup Inc. is taking the spotlight with its fourth-quarter results due on Monday morning, followed by JPMorgan and Wells Fargo & Co. on Tuesday.

Bank stocks have rallied so far this year after a terrible 2018, with the KBW Bank Index adding more than 5 percent -- outpacing the S&P 500’s 3.4 percent gain. That bounce comes after the bank gauge fell almost 20 percent last year. Sensing whether there’s more relief in store will be top of mind for investors.