NEW YORK (AP) — Fourth-quarter earnings at JPMorgan Chase & Co. soared 68 percent on strong investment banking growth and a gain from the sale of the bank's corporate trust business, but signs of worsening credit quality worried investors.The New York-based bank, the nation's third largest, yesterday was the latest financial institution to report solid 2006 profit growth while warning of deteriorating credit as customers appeared to have more trouble keeping up with their bills.

A day earlier, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co., the nation's fifth largest bank, reported a 13 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings, while US Bancorp of Minneapolis, Minn., eked out a 4 percent gain.

But credit losses increased at both banks, and some analysts believe the weakening housing market and slowing economy could worsen credit quality at financial institutions in coming quarters.

JPMorgan Chase said its net income totalled $4.53 billion, or $1.26 a share, in the October-December period, up from $2.7 billion, or 76 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding the $622 million after-tax gain on the sale of its trust business, net income was $3.9 billion, or $1.09 a share.

That was well ahead of the 95 cents projected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

Revenue was $16.05 billion, slightly above the analysts' expectation, and 19 percent ahead of the $13.48 billion reported in the fourth quarter of 2005.