Bank of America's Profit Mainly Due to Recent Deals..

The company's profits came mostly from Merrill Lynch, the investment bank it purchased in the fall with financial aid from the federal government.

Revenue from trading in financial products, including corporate debt and securities, has driven the renewed profitability of most large banks in the first quarter, even as retail banking operations continue to struggle.

MAKE MONEY: Bank of America earnings preview

TheDeal.com: Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) is releasing first-quarter earnings Monday morning. Now that J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) have issued earnings and beat analyst's expectations, Bank of America has a lot to prove, especially since CEO and Chairman Ken Lewis' position has come under fire in recent weeks due to the Merrill Lynch acquisition.