Wall Street Bonuses Poised for Record as Bank Profits Surge

The Wall Street bonus pool is expected to break records this year if current trends continue, as big banks reap profits from soaring stocks and a return to more dealmaking after a long drought.

Wall Street trading desks seized on both tariff-fueled market volatility this year and a stock rally boosted by technology stocks tied to artificial intelligence. For the third quarter, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. reported $15.4 billion in trading revenue — the highest for that period in at least five years.

In August, compensation consultant Johnson Associates Inc. also changed its outlook on Wall Street bonuses after investment bankers started to see a pick-up in mergers and acquisitions and other deal-related activity. 

Bloomberg / October 23, 2025