Top U.S. banks enter Q2 results as JPMorgan reports stronger profit

Major U.S. banks are reporting second-quarter results this week, with JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs due on July 14 and Morgan Stanley on July 15. Analysts had expected a strong quarter for Wall Street businesses, with the five largest U.S. investment banks projected to generate about $11.1 billion in Q2 2026 investment-banking fees, up 27% from a year earlier and the highest quarterly total since 2021, alongside higher trading revenue. JPMorgan said second-quarter profit rose 41%, supported by stronger investment banking, solid trading revenue and gains from its Visa holdings. In figures cited alongside the release, Q1 2026 net income rose 13% year over year to $16.49 billion, with earnings per share of $5.94 and revenue up 10% to $50.54 billion; investment-banking fees increased 28% to $2.88 billion. Ahead of earnings, forecasts had pointed to nearly 14% revenue growth to $51.1 billion for JPMorgan, while Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Wells Fargo were also expected to post year-over-year gains. Investors are looking beyond headline strength to whether favorable conditions can last into 2027. Analysts say commercial lending may be improving as banks compete with private credit lenders for AI-related corporate spending, while low unemployment has supported consumer credit quality. At the same time, higher deposit costs and pressure on lending margins could weigh on profits. JPMorgan’s results also drew attention to its blockchain efforts around JPM Coin and Onyx and to management comments on stablecoin regulation and prediction markets, adding a digital-assets policy angle to the broader earnings season.