1st Quarter 2025

Compensation Trends and Projections May 2025 2025 incentives for financial services projected to be lower across almost all sectors, with tariffs and geopolitical concerns the biggest wild card. Compensation projected to be higher for equity and fixed income sales & trading. Firm impacts vary wildly.

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What’s Driving Banks’ Low Say-on-Pay Vote Tallies

A handful of U.S. banks are facing heightened shareholder dissatisfaction over executive pay, pressuring them either to further defend their compensation programs or make changes. Banks that receive dwindling support will want to get to work on talking to investors and making the case that what they pay their CEO and the rest of the…

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Underwriting Compensation Can be Improved in These Key Ways, Experts Say

Want to attract good underwriters? Consider paying more… Many carriers are struggling amid older worker retirements, a dearth of new entrants, competition fora relatively small talent pool and a resurgence of counteroffers designed to keep star teammembers from departing. “These positions are certainly in demand and looking forward it will probably continue,” saidAlan Johnson, managing…

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Wall Street Job Cuts Loom as Market Turmoil Stalls Deals

U.S. investment banks are poised to cut more jobs if economic uncertainty continues to weigh on dealmaking in the months ahead, according to analysts and recruiters. Larger banks are quicker to reduce headcount, while boutiques could follow later, said Chris Connors, principal of Johnson Associates, a compensation consultant. “If the pipeline does not materialize quickly,…

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Goldman Sachs Hikes Pay for City Bankers to $764,000 as Dealmaking Jumps

The US bank saw ‘significantly higher’ compensation costs in 2024 for its London-headquartered bank. Investment banks have rewarded their dealmakers as fees bounced back after two years of slumping revenue. Wall Street banks increased bonuses by up to 35% for 2024, with debt underwriters receiving the biggest boost, according to compensation consultants Johnson Associates. Financial…

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Financial Services Compensation Webcast March 2025

Location: Virtual Johnson Associates presented a lookback at 2024 and initial thoughts on 2025 compensation developments. Topics covered included: 2024 Industry Incentive Changes by Sector, 2024 Major Surprises, The Convergence of Public and Private Markets, All Things Carry, Hybrid Work Policy, and many others. Included preliminary thoughts on 2025 and Fearless Predictions for this year…

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Bank of America Cuts 150 Junior Jobs in Investment Banking, Sources Say

Investment banking activity had picked up in recent months, with Wall Street executives cheering the business-friendly tone of President Donald Trump’s administration. But U.S. mergers and acquisition activity in the first two months of 2025 has seen just 1,603 deals signed through Friday, making it the slowest pace by volume since 2009, Dealogic data showed.…

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