Citigroup on Friday posted fourth-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates for profit as the firm joined rival JPMorgan Chase in releasing reserves for loan losses.
Citigroup said earnings fell 7% to $4.63 billion, or $2.08 a share, compared with the $1.34 a share expected by analysts surveyed by Refinitiv. Companywide revenue fell 10% to $16.5 billion, below the estimate of $16.7 billion.
The bank released $1.5 billion in reserves for credit losses, a move that was bigger than analysts had expected. That compared with a reserve build of $436 million in the third quarter and $253 million a year earlier. As a result, credit costs in the period were more than $2 billion less than a year earlier.
