Home » Articles » Stock Analysis » Citi really earn money?

Citi really earn money?

April 20, 2009

AUTHOR:

If you thought banks like Citigroup (C) made money in the first quarter, think again. Its business just deteriorated and bonds declined so much.

If you thought banks like Citigroup (C) made money in the first quarter, think again. Its business just deteriorated and bonds declined so much, but ironically that was one of the biggest moneymakers for Citi.

The lesson is: if you screw up, screw up big, drive your bond prices into the ground and voila your profitability increases. Seriously, that is what happened to Citi last quarter.

Please read the following important disclosure here.

Enjoyed this read?

Share it with someone who’d love it too!

Facebook Tweet LinkedIn Email

New to investing?

Explore these valuable guides to get started.

Value Investing
Student
Curriculum

The 6
Commandments
of Value
Investing

Letter to
a Young
Investor

April 23, 2026

Q&A Series: On Firing Clients, Sizing Positions, and Ignoring Book Value

At IMA, we deal with prospective clients who have a short-term time horizon very differently. We do what I call "reverse marketing." I write articles, people read them, and when they get interested in our services, they download our brochure and reach out to us.

April 9, 2026

Uber and Self-Driving Cars: The Utilization Problem Nobody Talks About

I took a Waymo with my colleague Cyrus. We were genuinely impressed. It was a seamless experience. Uber is dead, long live Waymo? Not So Fast.

Client Letter

April 2, 2026

What AI, Tariffs, and Global Uncertainty Mean for Your Portfolio

The future feels less predictable because the range of possible outcomes has expanded. Here is my best attempt to think through that reality with humility, and why you should let me do the worrying for both of us.

Client Letter

March 24, 2026

When to sell a stock: The Art and Psychology of Selling

Investing is a lot more art than science. I bring a scientist's mindset – I approach problems with an open mind and I am willing to change my mind when data proves me wrong.

Client Letter