Continue to write brilliance in the volatility! Bank of America (BAC.US) and JP Morgan (JPM.US) trading departments are expected to achieve another strong quarter.

Major Wall Street banks are forecasting that their trading departments will achieve strong results in the upcoming quarter. Bank of America Corp (BAC.US) CEO Brian Moynihan stated on Wednesday that he expects the revenue from sales and trading business in the second quarter of this year to increase by around 15% compared to the same period last year. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase (JPM.US), also noted that the market business revenue is expected to grow by 11%, making it the second-best quarter in the history of the business. The substantial earnings from trading have helped the large U.S. banks achieve record results in the first quarter of 2026, especially in stock trading, benefiting from market volatility caused by the Iran war and concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence and private credit on the market. Moynihan revealed at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference that Bank of America Corp is increasing the use of its balance sheet to support trading activities and increasing investment in technology. In October last year, the bank promoted Dennis Manelski and Sophianne Zuberi to co-head the global markets business. Moynihan said, "You have to be willing to commit significant resources to serve customers well in this business that is highly dependent on talent and precision operations. Our team has performed extremely well in this regard." Dimon, at the same conference, said that investment banking fees in the second quarter could increase by 10% or more. Dimon said, "People are energized, clients are active, companies are busy, and the market is optimistic." However, Dimon also mentioned that the good year also means that America's largest bank by assets will spend about $1 billion more than previously expected this year. He stated that the additional expenses are "mostly because we are performing better, so it's worth spending that $1 billion." Dimon also mentioned that JPMorgan Chase might have an opportunity for another large-scale acquisition in the future, but he admitted that current asset prices are high. "I do believe that in the next two to three years, there may be an opportunity to use $10 to $20 billion for an acquisition," Dimon added, stating that JPMorgan Chase "has been keeping an eye out for opportunities." Despite challenges from tariffs and Middle East conflicts, Moynihan said the U.S. economy remains strong, with continued consumer and business spending and a stable unemployment rate. Moynihan also mentioned that the net interest income, which accounts for over half of Bank of America Corp's total revenue, is expected to perform well and robustly this quarter, possibly reaching the upper limit of the bank's annual growth target of 6% to 8%. Following a record-breaking profit in the first quarter, mainly due to the revenue from stock trading business, the bank headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina has raised its annual net interest income guidance in April. Moynihan stated that Bank of America Corp continues to recruit wealth advisors, expecting the business revenue to achieve low double-digit percentage growth. He emphasized that the bank will focus on cost control and strive to maintain operational leverage close to the level of the first quarter. The bank previously stated that the operational leverage ratio for this year is expected to reach around 200 basis points, meaning that income growth will outpace expenditure growth by 2 percentage points.