- Dividend Brief
- Posts
- One of America’s Largest Banks Just Flexed Its Earnings Power
One of America’s Largest Banks Just Flexed Its Earnings Power
Noah Zelvis
January 14, 2026
A heavyweight US bank delivered a confident close to 2025, comfortably topping expectations as core banking and markets activity held firm.
With management signaling momentum into 2026 and capital returns firmly intact, the results underline why the sector remains firmly on investors’ radar. Are you banking here?
Silver's Explosive Rise (Sponsored)
Silver is skyrocketing, driven by AI growth and expanding global power grids.
As prices surpass $50/oz., the demand for silver in electronics, batteries, and sensors has never been higher.
Eric Sprott’s latest move has the industry buzzing, as he backs a U.S. junior explorer focused on America’s first silver mine.
With modern tech and historic high-grade samples, this project is set to unlock new potential.
Get in early – learn more about this exciting opportunity today!
Never Miss a Stock Recommendation Again!
We now send our dividend picks right to your phone via text, so you’ll get the same actionable moves without having to open your inbox.
Advanced Manufacturing
Applied Materials Sits Where the Next Chip Boom Gets Built
Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) is moving into a defining stretch as global chipmakers line up for the next wave of fabrication investment.
This is not hype-driven optimism.
It reflects a supply chain that is preparing for structurally heavier spending tied to AI workloads, advanced packaging, and increasingly complex chip designs.
Applied sits directly in the path of that shift.
Its deposition, etch, and materials engineering systems are not optional upgrades; they are required infrastructure for scaling both logic and memory production as architectures become more layered and interconnected.
Packaging Stops Being an Afterthought
One of the biggest changes is where innovation is happening. Performance gains are no longer coming just from shrinking transistors.
They are coming from how chips are stacked, bonded, and connected.
Applied’s growing exposure to advanced packaging moves it beyond short node-to-node cycles and into longer technology roadmaps.
If you still think chip cycles are only about lithography, this is where the picture has changed.
Why This Phase Matters
The next few quarters are not about beating estimates. They are about confirming whether semiconductor capital intensity stays structurally higher than in past cycles.
And when you step back and look at who benefits most if fabs keep getting more complex, more expensive, and more essential, Applied Materials is already standing in the middle of that buildout.
AMAT currently trades at $300 and pays a dividend of $1.84 per share, a yield of 0.62%.
Energy
The Volume That Changes the Conversation
Cheniere Energy (NYSE: LNG) is closing in on a defining operational threshold.
By the end of 2026, the company expects to process roughly 10 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, a level that elevates it from a leading exporter to one of the most critical LNG infrastructure operators in the world.
This is not just about moving more molecules. At this scale, Cheniere becomes structurally embedded in the management of global energy flows.
If you think LNG markets still revolve around spot pricing and short-term swings, this capacity milestone tells a very different story.
Security Beats Price When the Stakes Are High
Cheniere fits that demand profile almost perfectly.
Long-term contracts, U.S.-based supply, and proven operational reliability make its growing footprint more strategic with every expansion.
You do not need to follow geopolitics closely to see why dependable LNG has become a policy asset, not just a commodity.
LNG Plays by Different Rules
While oil producers feel pressure from price volatility and cost discipline, LNG sits on a different curve.
Natural gas remains the bridge fuel that keeps grids stable while economies decarbonize.
Higher throughput improves Cheniere’s operating leverage, deepens sovereign and utility relationships, and locks in long-duration visibility.
And when you zoom out and look at how energy security, trade, and diplomacy are converging, Cheniere’s role keeps expanding with them.
LNG currently trades at $197 and pays a dividend of $2.22 per share, a yield of 1.12%.
Next Bull Market Picks (Sponsored)
2024 was a breakout year, but 2025 brings a new investing landscape.
With President Trump’s second term and shifting policies on energy, defense, and manufacturing, global markets are changing fast.
A FREE report reveals 4 U.S. stocks set to benefit from these policy shifts — poised to lead the next bull market.
Get the Free Report Now.
(By clicking the link above, you agree to receive future emails from us and bonus subscriptions from our partners. You can opt out at any time. – Privacy Policy)
Crypto Surge (Sponsored)
Liquidity is rising, institutions are investing, and regulations are becoming friendlier.
The foundation is set for what could be a major market move.
Investors who act now may benefit most.
A 250-page digital system reveals how to grow crypto wealth safely, without risky speculation or constant stress.
Download now and claim $788 in bonuses—including the #1 crypto pick this cycle.
Access the Crypto Guide
Asset Management
BlackRock’s Quiet Crypto Move Speaks Loudest
BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) just made a move that looks boring on the surface and extremely important underneath.
The firm transferred Bitcoin and Ethereum linked to its spot crypto ETFs to Coinbase Prime, the institutional custody and execution platform built for scale.
When you see BlackRock adjust custody and execution flows, you are not watching a market call. You are watching infrastructure management.
If you still think crypto moves only on sentiment, this is what maturity looks like.
Liquidity Over Loud Signals
These transfers came from wallets tied directly to BlackRock’s Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. That alone draws attention, but the signal is operational, not directional.
As ETF assets grow, the real challenge becomes handling inflows, redemptions, and volatility without breaking mechanics.
Moving assets onto Coinbase Prime improves execution flexibility, liquidity access, and risk control. And when you manage trillions, small frictions become real risks.
Why This Changes the Tone
BlackRock is not treating crypto like a belief system. It is treating it like inventory. This move reinforces something bigger.
Crypto inside BlackRock now lives under the same discipline as equities, bonds, and alternatives.
BlackRock is not making noise here. It is asserting control. And if you are paying attention to who shapes markets rather than who chases them, this is the part that actually matters.
BLK currently trades at $1,075 and pays a dividend of $20.84 per share, a yield of 1.94%.
Dividend Stocks Worth Watching
Delta Air Lines, Inc (NYSE: DAL) also beat Wall Street expectations with its Q4 2025 results, capping off a strong year for the carrier as premium travel demand and pricing discipline supported margins.
The earnings outperformance was driven by resilient passenger revenue and continued strength in international and business travel.
As with BAC, Delta’s management team struck a confident tone, pointing to solid forward bookings and an improving cost outlook.
Executives highlighted Delta’s premium-heavy network and operational reliability as key advantages as industry capacity growth moderates.
The airline continues to prioritise shareholder returns alongside balance sheet strength.
DAL pays a dividend of 19 cents per share, yielding around 1.1%.
Bank of New York Mellon Corp (NYSE: BK) has outlined ambitious profit targets as CEO Robin Vince pushes ahead with a multi-year turnaround aimed at lifting returns and sharpening the bank's competitive edge.
Management said efficiency gains, technology investment, and tighter cost control are central to plans to drive higher margins across the business.
The strategy focuses on streamlining operations while doubling down on areas where BNY Mellon has scale advantages, including asset servicing and wealth management.
Vince struck a confident tone on execution, positioning the overhaul as a way to unlock more consistent earnings growth rather than chase riskier expansion.
For income investors, the message was one of discipline and sustainability.
The bank continues to prioritise shareholder returns through dividends and buybacks as it works toward its longer-term profitability goals.
BK pays a 53-cent dividend, yielding 1.71%.
Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) beat Wall Street’s expectations with its just-revealed Q4 2025 results.
Its outperformance was supported by strong net interest income and a jump in trading revenue, underpinning resilience in core banking operations.
Earnings of $0.98 per share topped consensus forecasts, while revenue also came in ahead of estimates.
Promisingly, management struck an optimistic tone for 2026, forecasting continued growth in net interest income and stable lending demand, with CEO Brian Moynihan highlighting underlying consumer and business strength.
The bank continues to return capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks, reinforcing its income appeal.
BAC pays a 28 quarterly dividend, yielding 2.16%.
Dividend Increases
LKFN has raised its dividend to 52 cents, up 4.0%. Its new yield is 3.64%.
LNT has upped its dividend to 54 cents, an increase of 5.42%. Its new yield is 3.23%.
RPRX has boosted its dividend to 24 cents, a rise of 6.82%. Its new yield is 2.34%.
Gold Stock Opportunity (Sponsored)
New Year’s Day marks a pivotal moment for a small gold stock that will begin mining its first ounce of gold.
Right now, it’s pre-revenue — invisible to most traders.
But once it starts producing, the world’s top trading algorithms will rush to adjust its value, sending its stock price soaring.
You need to get in now, before production begins next month.
Click here to get the full briefing before it’s too late.
Trivia: Which everyday phrase means to spend money carelessly? |
Upcoming Dividend Payers
INTU’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming $1.20 payment is 01/16/26.
KDP’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 23-cent payment is 01/16/26.
GNL’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 19-cent payment is 01/16/26.
THO’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 52-cent payment is 01/19/26.
Everything Else
Google has won the battle for Apple, with the search engine’s AI technology chosen to power Siri in a multi-year collaboration.
Wells Fargo has surpassed Q4 profit forecasts, but weaker revenue means the banker is facing a stock price slide today (Wednesday).
JP Morgan Chase says the banking industry would be unlikely to get behind President Trump’s plans to usher in credit card price controls during its Q4 earnings call earlier this week.
Citigroup has joined a host of banks posting strong quarterly results after reducing its loan losses.
That’s all for today’s edition of the Dividend Brief.
Thanks for reading, and if you have any feedback or dividend stocks you want me to take a look at, just reply to this email!
—Noah Zelvis
DividendBrief.com