Big Banks’ Stocks Advance After Lenders Ace Fed Stress Test (2)

Bank stocks advanced after the biggest lenders all passed the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test, clearing a key hurdle toward paying billions of dollars to stockholders.

Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. were among the US lenders that rose the most on Thursday after analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. listed them as some of the banks most likely to see one of their key capital requirements eased in light of the results. The firms’ balance sheets showed an improved resiliency in this year’s test.

Still, there’s a mixed picture for potentially sweetening payouts ...