Wall Street Bankers Set for 10%-15% Bonus Rise as Dealmaking and Trading Lift Earnings
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 5
Wall Street Bankers Set for 10%-15% Bonus Rise as Dealmaking and Trading Lift Earnings
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 5
Summary
Johnson Associates projects investment and commercial bankers' bonuses will rise 10% to 15% or more after major banks posted record second-quarter earnings.
Strong equity trading, advisory and underwriting drove that earnings surge, with volatile markets again rewarding Wall Street's deal and capital-markets businesses.
Stock traders and M&A advisers are expected to fare even better than the broader banker group, extending a wider 2026 bonus upswing across big banks.
The forecast underscores how dealmaking, IPO activity and trading strength are outpacing other parts of finance in this year's compensation cycle.