JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) drastically cut the amount of money set aside for bad loans, allowing it to boost first-quarter profit by two-thirds but spurring analysts to question whether the growth can be repeated. The bank's book of consumer loans shrank by 10 percent in the quarter, and loans to corporate customers did not grow enough to make up for it. The No. 2 U.S. bank also took $1.75 billion of charges linked to collecting payments on bad mortgages and foreclosures. The bank said it is still suffering from high losses from mortgages. The quarterly results, the first from a major Wall Street bank, beat expectations and lifted JPMorgan shares 4 cents to $46.68. Analysts said a good deal of JPMorgan's ability to grow in the future will depend on growth in the global economy, which will trigger more demand for loans.
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