BAC BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/

Price Chart

Executive Summary

Morgan Stanley upgraded BAC to Overweight from Equal-Weight on April 7, 2025, but slashed its price target to $47 from $56, implying a 8.9% downside from the current $51.60. The call is part of a 17-firm cluster action on BAC, including Jefferies, Wolfe Research, HSBC, Baird, UBS, Truist Securities, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, CFRA, Piper Sandler, Seaport Global, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. Morgan Stanley has a 67% accuracy rate on 15 BAC calls with a 2.4% average return, ranking as top tier among covering firms. Consensus is heavily bullish: 25 Buy (including Strong Buy), 5 Hold, 0 Sell across 30 analysts. The mean price target is $63.16, median $62.50, high $71, low $57.50 — Morgan Stanley's $47 is the lowest on the street and 25.6% below the mean. EPS revisions are positive: 18 upward revisions in the last 30 days for the current fiscal year vs. 0 downward. Insider selling is notable: $6.7M by Greener Geoffrey S on May 5, 2026, plus $4.4M by Mensah Bernard A and $4.2M by DeMare James P in March 2026. Short interest is elevated at 56.1% of float. The upgrade is contrarian given the deep PT cut and heavy insider selling, but the high-accuracy firm's bullish stance against consensus may signal a near-term bottom.

Impact Score

Consensus & Targets

Consensus is heavily bullish: 7 Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 5 Hold, 0 Sell, 0 Strong Sell across 30 analysts. 83% of analysts rate BAC a Buy or Strong Buy, with no Sell ratings. This is a strongly bullish consensus, making Morgan Stanley's upgrade aligned in direction but sharply divergent on price target.

Current price: $51.60. Mean target: $63.16 (implied upside 22.4%). Median: $62.50. High: $71 (37.6% upside). Low: $57.50 (11.4% upside). Morgan Stanley's $47 target is 25.6% below the mean and 18.3% below the low, making it the most bearish target on the street. The PT cut from $56 to $47 (-16.1%) is a significant reduction.

Recent Analyst Activity

30-day analyst activity shows 0 upgrades and 0 downgrades, but the cluster of 17 firms acting on April 7 is a major event. EPS revision trend is positive: 18 upward revisions in the last 30 days for the current fiscal year (0y) vs. 0 downward. Next-quarter EPS estimates have 7 upward revisions vs. 3 downward. Estimates are being revised higher overall, supporting a bullish fundamental view.

Firm Track Record — Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley accuracy: 55% on 4993 calls | avg return: 4.3%

Industry benchmark: mean 51% ± 11%. Top tier: ≥61% (mean + 1σ). Based on 15 firms with ≥5 scored calls.

Morgan Stanley has a 67% accuracy rate on 15 scored BAC calls with a 2.4% average return, ranking as top tier. This compares favorably to the overall firm universe: Citigroup (100% on 5 calls, 7.4% avg return), Oppenheimer (79% on 14, 6.2%), Wells Fargo (75% on 4, 3.5%), RBC Capital (75% on 4, 11.7%). Lower-accuracy firms include Piper Sandler (29% on 7, -0.3% avg return) and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (50% on 8, 3.8%). Morgan Stanley's call carries above-average credibility.

Earnings Estimates

Next earnings: Jul 14, 2026

Cross-Platform Signals

Insider trades show significant selling: $6.7M by Greener Geoffrey S on May 5, 2026, $4.4M by Mensah Bernard A on March 12, 2026, $4.2M by DeMare James P on March 4, 2026, plus $3.0M by Bronstein Sheri B. and $2.5M by Scrivener Thomas M. on March 5, 2026. These are large C-suite sales (CEO, CFO, EVP) that diverge from the bullish analyst signal. Institutional activity shows NORGES BANK taking a new $4.77B position, while DODGE & COX near-exited (-86.9%), RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGIES and Duquesne Family Office fully exited. Short interest is 56.1% of float, extremely high. The insider selling and institutional exits diverge from the analyst upgrade, creating a mixed signal.

Documents Analyzed

Report based on filing metadata.

US Market Status