What's Going On With Bank Of America (BAC) Shares

Shares of Bank of America Corp BAC fell 5.3% to $39.63 Thursday morning as President Donald Trump's sweeping reciprocal tariffs rattled financial markets and heightened fears of a global economic downturn.

The second-largest U.S. bank by assets is particularly vulnerable to the escalating trade tensions, as rising tariffs threaten economic growth, corporate lending and consumer spending—all key revenue drivers for the bank.

What To Know: Bank of America, which generates significant revenue from interest income on loans and mortgages, faces mounting concerns that the tariffs could stoke inflation while slowing economic activity. Additionally, if businesses cut back on expansion due to trade uncertainty, demand for corporate credit could weaken.

Also, Bank of America's investment banking division, which earns fees from mergers, acquisitions and capital markets activity, may suffer if market volatility persists. Global trade disruptions could deter companies from pursuing major deals, further pressuring the bank's fee-based income.

Read Also: US Stocks Likely To Open Lower Following Trump’s Tariffs: ‘Worse Than The Worst Case Scenario,’ Says Analyst

How To Buy BAC Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Bank of America – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

In the case of Bank of America, which is trading at $41.85 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 2.39 shares of stock.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

According to data from Benzinga Pro, BAC has a 52-week high of $48.08 and a 52-week low of $34.15.