(Reuters) - Big trading operations were a thorn in the side of the top U.S. banks in the fourth quarter as fears about global growth sent credit markets into a tailspin, but a “dovish” turn from the Federal Reserve may mean the drama is over for now. FILE PHOTO: The Citigroup Inc (Citi) logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. Picture taken October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren Citigroup Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Goldman Sachs...

(Reuters) - After a miserable 2018, big U.S. bank stocks could be in for a lift if upcoming earnings releases show strong fourth-quarter loan growth helps to offset weak trading revenue. FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., January 10, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid And some bargain hunters are also betting on stronger 2019 growth than current valuations imply. The S&P 500 bank index .SPXBK fell 18.4 percent in 2018 compared with a 6.2...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. investors expect banks and other financial institutions to announce large returns of capital to shareholders after the Federal Reserve publishes the first set of results from its annual “stress test” late Thursday. Even so, gains in financial shares may be muted. Many of the 38 financial firms undergoing the test are expected to boost dividends and share buybacks due to higher profits on the back of tax cuts and rising net interest income. Banks will be able to...

(Reuters) - After two years of sharp gains for U.S. bank stocks, investors betting on another big boost for 2018 may be disappointed unless loan growth accelerates or regulations slacken considerably. The S&P 500 bank sector index .SPXBK beat first quarter earnings estimates by 3.1 percent, and Wall Street’s 2018 earnings growth consensus for the sector climbed to 32.2 percent in early May from 28.4 percent on April 1, according to Thomson Reuters data. But strength in trading revenue, net...

(Reuters) - Bank shares soared on Wednesday as investors bet rising inflation would push up interest rates and boost bank profits, and analysts forecast yet more gains from strong economic growth and a volatility-fueled boost in trading revenue. The S&P 500 bank subsector was last up 2.5 percent at its highest level since Feb. 5. In last week’s broad market pullback, it fell as much as 11.3 percent from a more than 10-year intraday high hit on Jan. 29. The S&P 500 fell as much as 11.8 percent...