• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K

Moynihan: B of A won’t have a JPMorgan like blow up

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 30, 2012, 5:01 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Moynihan: I’m not hiding anything

FORTUNE — There is no Charlotte Whale.

Ever since JPMorgan Chase (JPM) announced in early May that it had lost at least $2 billion in what was supposed to be the bank’s hedging operations, investors have been scouring other banks to see if they have trades that could produce similar blow ups. On Wednesday, Bank of America (BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan told a group of investors they wouldn’t find any of those risky trades at his bank.

Speaking at a Sanford Bernstein investment conference in New York, Moynihan said his bank hasn’t put its extra cash into bets on credit default swap indexes or other fancy hedging strategies. He said the bank has tried to get some extra investment income on its excess cash from deposits that haven’t been lent out. But he said most of the bank’s investments were in high-rated securities. He said B of A does hedge its portfolio, but it doesn’t use strategies that could result in big blow ups. Moynihan also said that the bank had closed its proprietary trading desk and is exiting its private equity business in order to bring down risk as well.

MORE: How JPMorgan made its billion dollar blunder

A quick glance of B of A’s recent financial statement does seem to suggest that the bank is curtailing its risk. The bank upped the holdings in its trading account to $210 billion at the end of the first quarter, from nearly $170 billion a year ago. But much of that increase came from buying government debt, both here and abroad. Moynihan said the bank’s direct exposure to Europe had been dropping. B of A also purchased more mortgage bonds backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bank did increased its “hedges in leveraged credit trading,” and it didn’t say what exactly those hedges were. All told, though, Bank of America’s measure of how much it could lose on any given trading day fell to $84 million in the first quarter, down from $184 million a year ago.

Of course, not hedging has its risks as well. Jamie Dimon has said that one of the risks JPMorgan was trying to hedge against was a quick rise in interest rates. Unhedged, a rise in interest rates could take a big bite out of B of A’s Treasury holdings. Indeed, the one area in which the risk of B of A’s trading portfolio has gone up is in the losses it could have if interest rates were to jump.

MORE: Charlotte after the banking crisis: Just fine

The question is whether B of A has to worry about that risk anytime soon. Many believe that the slow growth economy means that interest rates will stay low for at least the next year, probably longer. What’s more, B of A has a natural hedge against rising interest rates. Moynihan said he expects that a number of the bank’s businesses, lending for one, would be much more profitable if rates were to rise. Nonetheless, interest rates are something bank investors should keep their eye on. For right now, though, it appears to be more of a minnow of a problem, than a whale.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

z
AIdisruption
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
15 minutes ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
16 minutes ago
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
Successphilanthropy
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
By Sydney LakeJuly 3, 2026
17 minutes ago
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
17 minutes ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
17 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
17 minutes ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
14 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
18 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
8 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.