Earnings Preview: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) is expected to report Q1 earnings with a conference call scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 at 9:00 am ET.

Guidance

Analysts are looking for EPS of 66c on revenue of $16.97B. The consensus range for EPS is (11c) to 94c, while the consensus range for revenue is $13.72B to $18.35B.

Analyst analysis

Over the last few weeks, JPMorgan has been taking steps to complete its acquisition of Bear Stearns (BSC). On April 9, JP Morgan reported that it held a 47.4% stake in Bear.

Punk Ziegel on March 25 contended that JP Morgan, which officially acquired Bear for $10 per share, could end up paying $65 per share when all the costs of the deal and the integration expenses are taken into account. The firm, which has a Market Perform rating on the company, argues that JPMorgan could have used those funds to buy a top-notch bank that was gaining market share. Investors may be interested in trying to determine whether the acquisition will be as expensive as Punk predicted it would be.

The Street may also attempt to ascertain whether there could be any risk to JPMorgan's dividend. On March 28, Oppenheimer contended that JP Morgan would be one of several major investment banks that will eventually cut its dividend.