Wall Street is charging into 2026 after one of its strongest years on record, with the nation’s six largest banks posting a combined $593 billion in revenue in 2025, up 6% from the prior year, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Profits climbed 8% to about $157 billion as trading floors roared back, dealmaking revived and wealthy consumers kept borrowing and investing.
A wave of market volatility sparked by tariffs, geopolitical turmoil and the artificial intelligence boom fueled surging trading volumes, while merger activity rebounded to its second-highest level ever. Investment banking fees rose across the industry, and bankers now predict that 2026 could rival or even surpass the pandemic-era deal frenzy, with a reopening IPO market led by companies such as SpaceX and Anthropic.
Still, executives are warning of risks ahead, citing global conflict, interest rate uncertainty, inflation pressures and a potentially cooling U.S. labor market.
