Capital One Expected to Post Higher 1Q Profit With Consumer Health, AI in Focus -- Earnings Preview

Published: 2026-04-20 12:59:20 ET COF

Published on 04/20/2026 at 12:59 pm EDT

By Kelly Cloonan

Capital One Financial is scheduled to report its first-quarter results on Tuesday after the market close. Here is what you need to know.

EARNINGS: The McLean, Va., bank is expected to post earnings of $3.89 a share, compared with $3.45 a share the year before, according to FactSet.

ADJUSTED EARNINGS: Stripping out certain one-time items, earnings are expected to come in at $4.50 a share, compared with $4.06 a share the prior year.

REVENUE: The company is expected to report $15.36 billion of revenue, compared with $10 billion in the year-ago quarter, according to FactSet.

The stock has fallen about 14% during the past three months and recently traded around $205.62.

WHAT TO WATCH:

--Wall Street will be watching Capital One's results for insights into the health of the U.S. consumer. During the company's earnings call in January, Chief Executive Richard Fairbank emphasized consumers' resilience, pointing to strong spending, real wage growth, a stable labor market and declining delinquencies in Capital One's portfolio. Still, uncertainty looms due to inflation, interest rates, and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, Fairbank said at the time.

--Analysts will also be looking for details about Capital One's strategy around artificial intelligence. The company has been a vocal proponent of AI adoption in finance, but the market is more focused on AI's risk to employment in the years ahead rather than its ability to boost internal productivity, Truist Securities analysts said in a note. "We're not sure what the company can really say to dispel that narrative, but would welcome any words of wisdom - perhaps how they're managing their own headcount and hiring as they embed AI," the analysts said.

--Capital One disclosed plans earlier this year to acquire financial technology company Brex, which focuses on corporate credit cards, for $5.15 billion in a cash and stock. The deal follows Capital One's acquisition of Discover Financial for $35.3 billion last year. The company's expenses will be a focus, given it's been in an investment cycle lately, the Truist analysts said.

Write to Kelly Cloonan at [email protected]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-20-26 1259ET