CHARLOTTE – Bank of America  early Wednesday reported fourth-quarter earnings of $7.01 billion, and Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan was quite pleased with the performance as well as its financials for the entire year of 2021.

“Our fourth-quarter results were driven by strong organic growth, record levels of digital engagement, and an improving economy,” he said in a statement.

Here’s how he summed up the year:

• “We grew loans by $51 billion and added $100 billion of deposits during the quarter, further strengthening our position as the leader in retail deposits.
• “We earned a record $32 billion in 2021, with every business line solidly contributing.
• “In Consumer, we added millions of new credit card accounts and nearly a million net new checking accounts as we continued to demonstrate the value we provide through our physical and digital capabilities.
• “Wealth Management had record client flows and the strongest client acquisition numbers since before the pandemic.
• “Investment Banking had its best year ever and Global Markets had its highest sales and trading revenue in a decade, led by record Equities performance as we invested in the business.
• “We also continued to support our communities, helping them address some of society’s biggest challenges, including the environment, the pandemic, racial equality and economic opportunity.

The bank  said it had earnings of 82 cents per share for the fourth quarter.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 76 cents per share.

The nation’s second-largest bank posted revenue of $23.2 billion in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $22.06 billion, also topping Street forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $22 billion.

Bank of America shares have risen 4% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P’s 500 index has climbed 22%. The stock has climbed 40% in the last 12 months.