TradingKey – Citigroup (NYSE: C) closed at $131.92 on October 12, a gain of 1.76% on the day. The movement may have been related to the upcoming release of Citi’s third quarter earnings as well as anticipation of a notable decision from a regulator. Reuters reported Citi is looking for resolution of U.S. consent orders after a number of years of substantial spending on remediation.

Citi has set its third quarter earnings release for 8:00 a.m. E.T. on October 13 and its investor call for 11:00 a.m. E.T. The following analysis is based on information available prior to the release. The big question is, will falling costs and improving returns outlast the restructuring charges?