BANK OF AMERICA CORP DE

To evaluate risks in our trading activities, we focus on the actual and potential volatility of revenues generated by individual positions as well as portfolios of positions. Various techniques and procedures are utilized to enable the most complete understanding of these risks. Quantitative measures of market risk are evaluated on a daily basis from a single position to the portfolio of the Corporation. These measures include sensitivities of positions to various market risk factors, such as the potential impact on revenue from a one basis point change in interest rates, and statistical measures utilizing both actual and hypothetical market moves, such as VaR and stress testing. Periods of extreme market stress influence the reliability of these techniques to varying degrees. Qualitative evaluations of market risk utilize the suite of quantitative risk measures while understanding each of their respective limitations. Additionally, risk managers independently evaluate the risk of the portfolios under the current market environment and potential future environments.

VaR is a common statistic used to measure market risk as it allows the aggregation of market risk factors, including the effects of portfolio diversification. A VaR model simulates the value of a portfolio under a range of scenarios in order to generate a distribution of potential gains and losses. VaR represents the loss a portfolio is not expected to exceed more than a certain number of times per period, based on a specified holding period, confidence level and window of historical data. We use one VaR model consistently across the trading portfolios and it uses a historical simulation approach based on a three-year window of historical data. Our primary VaR statistic is equivalent to a 99 percent confidence level, which means that for a VaR with a one-day holding period, there should not be losses in excess of VaR, on average, 99 out of 100 trading days.

Within any VaR model, there are significant and numerous assumptions that will differ from company to company. The accuracy of a VaR model depends on the availability and quality of historical data for each of the risk factors in the portfolio. A VaR model may require additional modeling assumptions for new products that do not have the necessary historical market data or for less liquid positions for which accurate daily prices are not consistently available. For positions with insufficient historical data for the VaR calculation, the process for establishing an appropriate proxy is based on fundamental and

statistical analysis of the new product or less liquid position. This analysis identifies reasonable alternatives that replicate both the expected volatility and correlation to other market risk factors that the missing data would be expected to experience.

VaR may not be indicative of realized revenue volatility as changes in market conditions or in the composition of the portfolio can have a material impact on the results. In particular, the historical data used for the VaR calculation might indicate higher or lower levels of portfolio diversification than will be experienced. In order for the VaR model to reflect current market conditions, we update the historical data underlying our VaR model on a weekly basis, or more frequently during periods of market stress, and regularly review the assumptions underlying the model. A minor portion of risks related to our trading positions is not included in VaR. These risks are reviewed as part of our ICAAP. For more information regarding ICAAP, see Capital Management on page 47.

GRM continually reviews, evaluates and enhances our VaR model so that it reflects the material risks in our trading portfolio. Changes to the VaR model are reviewed and approved prior to implementation and any material changes are reported to management through the appropriate management committees.

Trading limits on quantitative risk measures, including VaR, are independently set by Global Markets Risk Management and reviewed on a regular basis so that trading limits remain relevant and within our overall risk appetite for market risks. Trading limits are reviewed in the context of market liquidity, volatility and strategic business priorities. Trading limits are set at both a granular level to allow for extensive coverage of risks as well as at aggregated portfolios to account for correlations among risk factors. All trading limits are approved at least annually. Approved trading limits are stored and tracked in a centralized limits management system. Trading limit excesses are communicated to management for review. Certain quantitative market risk measures and corresponding limits have been identified as critical in the Corporation’s Risk Appetite Statement. These risk appetite limits are reported on a daily basis and are approved at least annually by the ERC and the Board.

In periods of market stress, Global Markets senior leadership communicates daily to discuss losses, key risk positions and any limit excesses. As a result of this process, the businesses may selectively reduce risk.

Table 41 presents the total market-based portfolio VaR, which is the combination of the total covered positions (and less liquid trading positions) portfolio and the fair value option portfolio. Covered positions are defined by regulatory standards as trading assets and liabilities, both on- and off-balance sheet, that meet a defined set of specifications. These specifications identify the most liquid trading positions which are intended to be held for a short-term horizon and where we are able to hedge the material risk elements in a two-way market. Positions in less liquid markets, or where there are restrictions on the ability to trade the positions, typically do not qualify as covered positions. Foreign exchange and commodity positions are always considered covered positions, except for structural foreign currency positions that are excluded with prior regulatory approval.

In addition, Table 41 presents the VaR for the fair value option portfolio, which includes substantially all of the funded and unfunded exposures for which we elect the fair value option, and their corresponding hedges. Market risk VaR for trading activities, as presented in Table 41, differs from VaR used for regulatory capital calculations due to the holding period used.

The holding period for VaR used for regulatory capital calculations is 10 days, while for the market risk VaR presented below, it is one day. Both measures utilize the same process and methodology.

The total market-based portfolio VaR results in Table 41 include market risk to which we are exposed from all business segments, excluding credit valuation adjustment (CVA), DVA and related hedges. The majority of this portfolio is within the Global Markets segment.

Table 41 presents year-end, average, high and low daily trading VaR for 2023 and 2022 using a 99 percent confidence level. The amounts disclosed in Table 41 and Table 42 align to

the view of covered positions used in the Basel 3 capital calculations. Foreign exchange and commodity positions are always considered covered positions, regardless of trading or banking treatment for the trade, except for structural foreign currency positions that are excluded with prior regulatory approval.

The annual average of total covered positions and less liquid trading positions portfolio VaR for 2023 decreased compared to 2022, primarily due to the roll off of March 2020 market volatility from the window of historical data used in the calibration of the VaR model.

(1)The high and low for each portfolio may have occurred on different trading days than the high and low for the components. Therefore the impact from less liquid exposures and the amount of portfolio diversification, which is the difference between the total portfolio and the sum of the individual components, is not relevant.

(2)Impact is net of diversification effects between the covered positions and less liquid trading positions portfolios.

The following graph presents the daily covered positions and less liquid trading positions portfolio VaR for 2023, corresponding to the data in Table 41.

75 Bank of America

Additional VaR statistics produced within our single VaR model are provided in Table 42 at the same level of detail as in Table 41. Evaluating VaR with additional statistics allows for an increased understanding of the risks in the portfolio, as the historical market data used in the VaR calculation does not necessarily follow a predefined statistical distribution. Table 42 presents average trading VaR statistics at 99 percent and 95 percent confidence levels for 2023 and 2022.

Backtesting

The accuracy of the VaR methodology is evaluated by backtesting, which compares the daily VaR results, utilizing a one-day holding period, against a comparable subset of trading revenue. A backtesting excess occurs when a trading loss exceeds the VaR for the corresponding day. These excesses are evaluated to understand the positions and market moves that produced the trading loss with a goal to help confirm that the VaR methodology accurately represents those losses. We expect the frequency of trading losses in excess of VaR to be in line with the confidence level of the VaR statistic being tested. For example, with a 99 percent confidence level, we expect one trading loss in excess of VaR every 100 days or between two to three trading losses in excess of VaR over the course of a year. The number of backtesting excesses observed can differ from the statistically expected number of excesses if the current level of market volatility is materially different than the level of market volatility that existed during the three years of historical data used in the VaR calculation.

The trading revenue used for backtesting is defined by regulatory agencies in order to most closely align with the VaR component of the regulatory capital calculation. This revenue differs from total trading-related revenue in that it excludes revenue from trading activities that either do not generate market risk or the market risk cannot be included in VaR. Some examples of the types of revenue excluded for backtesting are fees, commissions, reserves, net interest income and intra-day trading revenues.

We conduct daily backtesting on the VaR results used for regulatory capital calculations as well as the VaR results for key legal entities, regions and risk factors. These results are

reported to senior market risk management. Senior management regularly reviews and evaluates the results of these tests.

During 2023, there were no days where this subset of trading revenue had losses that exceeded our total covered portfolio VaR, utilizing a one-day holding period.

Total Trading-related Revenue

Total trading-related revenue, excluding brokerage fees, and CVA, DVA and funding valuation adjustment gains (losses), represents the total amount earned from trading positions, including market-based net interest income, which are taken in a diverse range of financial instruments and markets. For more information on fair value, see Note 20 – Fair Value Measurements to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Trading-related revenue can be volatile and is largely driven by general market conditions and customer demand. Also, trading-related revenue is dependent on the volume and type of transactions, the level of risk assumed, and the volatility of price and rate movements at any given time within the ever-changing market environment. Significant daily revenue by business is monitored and the primary drivers of these are reviewed.

The following histogram is a graphic depiction of trading volatility and illustrates the daily level of trading-related revenue for 2023 and 2022. During 2023, positive trading-related revenue was recorded for 100 percent of the trading days, of which 93 percent were daily trading gains of over $25 million. This compares to 2022 where positive trading-related revenue was recorded for 99 percent of the trading days, of which 90 percent were daily trading gains of over $25 million, and the largest loss was $9 million.

Trading Portfolio Stress Testing

Because the very nature of a VaR model suggests results can exceed our estimates and it is dependent on a limited historical window, we also stress test our portfolio using scenario analysis. This analysis estimates the change in the value of our trading portfolio that may result from abnormal market movements.

A set of scenarios, categorized as either historical or hypothetical, are computed daily for the overall trading portfolio and individual businesses. These scenarios include shocks to underlying market risk factors that may be well beyond the shocks found in the historical data used to calculate VaR. Historical scenarios simulate the impact of the market moves that occurred during a period of extended historical market stress. Generally, a multi-week period representing the most severe point during a crisis is selected for each historical scenario. Hypothetical scenarios provide estimated portfolio impacts from potential future market stress events. Scenarios are reviewed and updated in response to changing positions and new economic or political information. In addition, new or ad hoc scenarios are developed to address specific potential market events or particular vulnerabilities in the portfolio. The stress tests are reviewed on a regular basis and the results are presented to senior management.

Stress testing for the trading portfolio is integrated with enterprise-wide stress testing and incorporated into the limits framework. The macroeconomic scenarios used for enterprise-wide stress testing purposes differ from the typical trading portfolio scenarios in that they have a longer time horizon and the results are forecasted over multiple periods for use in consolidated capital and liquidity planning. For more information, see Managing Risk on page 44.