JPMorgan loss fuels calls for simplification

Of the many scandals that have plagued Wall Street of late, the “London Whale” trades, which cost banking giant JPMorgan Chase more than $6 billion, has captured the attention of the financial media more than any other. The biggest reason for journalists’ obsession with this story is that it tarnished the reputation of JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who is widely thought to be one of the most competent bank CEOs in the business, and one of the few who ably steered his bank through the subprime mortgage crisis.

(Adds other probe details starting in eighth paragraph.)

NEW YORK — JPMorgan Chase reported a 55 percent jump in earnings for the last three months of 2012 as mortgage fees and other income surged. The bank also released internal reviews of a surprise $6 billion trading loss that has drawn sanctions from regulators and said it would cut its CEO’s pay as a result. JPMorgan, the country’s biggest bank by assets, will pay Jamie Dimon $11.5 million for 2012, consisting of $1.5 million in salary and restricted stock awards of $10 million.

NEW YORK — JPMorgan Chase reported a 55 percent jump in earnings for the last three months of 2012 as mortgage fees and other income surged. The bank also released internal reviews of a surprise $6 billion trading loss that has drawn sanctions from regulators and said it would cut its CEO’s pay as a result. JPMorgan, the country’s biggest bank by assets, will pay Jamie Dimon $11.5 million for 2012, consisting of $1.5 million in salary and restricted stock awards of $10 million.

JPMorgan Chase moved swiftly on Monday to contain the growing fallout from a trading loss that could reach $3 billion or more, replacing the bank’s chief investment officer Ina Drew and moving to tamp down a growing furor over whether safeguards exist to prevent a similar debacle in the future.

By Satyam Khanna Via Kevin Drum, a peeved James Kwak observes the irony of Wall Street CEOs’ “I know better than the regulators” attitude towards financial reform:

The debate over Ben Bernanke’s reappointment, and his approach to the financial system, may after all have had some impact.  In a speech yesterday, Kevin Warsh – the Federal Reserve Board Governor who liaises between Ben Bernanke and financial markets – signaled a major change in Fed thinking regarding “too big to fail”.