Whenever a bank stumbles as mightily as Bank of America has, you will inevitably hear criticism aimed at the CEO. Usually, it starts very subtly, and then over time, as the woes linger, the criticism morphs into a full-throated howl for the CEO to step down.

Regarding Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, we're still very early in this process, leaving him much time to get the bank moving in the right direction. But we are hearing some intimations. No use sugarcoating that.

Breakingviews for example writes: "Mr. Moynihan should act fast. He may be running out of time to win investors over." FOX Business star correspondent Charlie Gasparino has reported, "I have spoken to at least four people close to Mr. Moynihan; they tell me he is under tremendous pressure to turn the stock around or he will have to go."

A lot of this is heat-of-the-moment stuff. The CEO's chin will always be the first in line for verbal jabs. Just as Lloyd Blankfein at Goldman Sachs. Everything is magnified right now, especially mistakes and verbal gaffes (not that Moynihan has made any). In any case, he'll have to watch his every word. Much of the plunge in the Bank of America stock can be sourced to the larger market downdraft. Mr. Market will start to differentiate among the banks at some point. Then, if the bank stays at 30-35 percent of book value, people will start to take the talk about Moynihan's status more seriously. A more positive spin on this, if he can get the stock moving north, he'll be the hero.  

For more:
- here's the Breakingviews article

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