Bank of America in March last year raised its minimum wage to $20 per hour and since 2010, its minimum hourly wage will have increased by more than 121%, it said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, the biggest US bank, had said three years ago that it would increase minimum pay by about 10% to between $15 and $18 per hour in more than 100 cities.
The second-largest US bank by assets unlocked $2.7 billion from its reserves and unveiled a $25 billion stock repurchase plan, betting on a swift economic recovery driven by rapid vaccinations.
Consumer banking revenue at the bank, however, fell 12% to $8.1 billion in the quarter ended March. Net interest income, a key measure of how much the bank can make from lending, fell 16% to $10.2 billion in the quarter.
High trading volumes during the quarter, stemming from the US elections and the release of coronavirus vaccines.
Morgan Stanley's equity underwriting revenue soared 81% from a year earlier, driven by high profile IPOs and follow-on offerings as clients continued to access capital markets.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp and Citigroup took in more than $1 trillion in deposits last year, compared with a $92 billion increase in 2019.
Big banks will not shun deposits due to the dynamic, executives said, because doing so could hurt their franchises.
Net income applicable to common shareholders fell to $5.21 billion, or 59 cents per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31 from $6.75 billion, or 74 cents per share.
Reported a 13% fall in consumer banking revenue to $8.2 billion,
Compared with April projections, bank economists and executives expect the US economy to take longer to recover.
No question, layoffs (will) come across the board for all the banks," said Barry Schwartz, chief investment officer at Toronto-based Baskin Wealth Management.
The second largest US bank had adopted the lending policy in January 2010 in response to the global financial crisis.
Bank of America agreed in the settlement to pay $4,000 to compensate each affected loan applicant, with payments expected to total about $300,000, the Justice Department said.
Capital markets-centered banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley to report net income declines of 15% to 40% compared with the year-ago period.
Wells Fargo & Co, which does not have a major capital markets business, may even swing to a loss.