Josh Brown talks two big bank stocks after earnings reports

Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO Josh Brown provided a bullish outlook on both Citigroup and JPMorgan following their better-than-expected earnings reports. Brown highlighted Citigroup's "outstanding" technicals and its confidence in projecting full-year revenue at the high end of guidance, around $84 billion, which contributed to a 4% rally and nearly 30% year-to-date gain. Conversely, while JPMorgan shares dipped slightly post-earnings, Brown reiterated it as a "forever position" despite its strong year-to-date performance exceeding 19%, signaling differing investment theses for the two financial giants.

Analysis

Following better-than-expected earnings reports, Citigroup and JPMorgan received positive commentary from Ritholtz Wealth Management's CEO. Citigroup, in particular, saw its shares rally over 4% after the company projected full-year revenue at the high end of its guidance at $84 billion. This confident outlook was noted as historically uncharacteristic for the bank, suggesting a potential inflection point where operational improvements are being recognized by the market. This view is supported by the stock's 'outstanding' technical setup and its year-to-date gain approaching 30%. In contrast, JPMorgan shares declined approximately 0.8% post-earnings despite also beating expectations. However, it is viewed as a 'forever position' by Josh Brown, who is unconcerned by near-term underperformance and continues to reinvest dividends. JPMorgan's long-term strength is underscored by its more than 19% rally in 2025 and its trajectory toward a third consecutive winning year, framing the day's dip as minor within a larger positive trend.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors may view Citigroup's high-end revenue guidance of $84 billion and strong technical momentum as key signals of a successful turnaround, warranting consideration for a long position.
• For JPMorgan, the minor post-earnings share price dip could be interpreted as a consolidation phase within a long-term uptrend, reinforcing its profile as a core holding for investors focused on stability and dividend reinvestment.
• A potential strategy could involve holding JPMorgan for its perceived stability and long-term compounding, while tactically allocating to Citigroup to gain exposure to its emerging recovery narrative and positive sentiment shift.