Wall Street is on track for a record-shattering $90 billion year — and massive bonuses to go with it, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office said Tuesday.
The securities industry posted $45.9 billion in profits just in the first half of this year, up 51.3% from the same time frame in 2025, according to a new report from the Empire State’s official bean counter.
The blockbuster figure puts Wall Streeters on track to rake in $90 billion by New Year’s Eve, the comptroller forecast — up nearly 40% from 2025’s total profits of $65.1 billion.
DiNapoli expected Wall Street’s bonus pool to go up — after economic uncertainty prompted some analysts to predict the opposite trend last year.
Instead, Wall Street’s momentum has accelerated through the first half of 2026, driven by an artificial intelligence boom and a surge in global dealmaking.
The industry is building on a steady boom from 2025. According to the state data, the average Wall Street salary in the city soared 11.1% to $561,770 last year.
The annual bonus pool expanded 9% to an unprecedented $49.2 billion in 2025. Wall Street also added 7,000 jobs, bringing the city’s securities workforce to a record 207,400.
State and local governments are reaping the rewards of the windfall.
The industry injected $7.8 billion into New York City’s budget during the 2026 fiscal year, a 15.8% increase. It also pumped $26.3 billion into state coffers, jumping 28.5%. The sector now accounts for roughly 19% of the city’s entire economic output.
Dealmakers remain exceptionally busy. Underwriting revenues skyrocketed 68% in the first half of 2026, while global mergers and acquisitions hit $2.8 trillion, marking the highest half-year total on record.
Tech investments have dominated market activity. Investors poured $407 billion into AI venture capital during the first six months of the year, easily topping the total for all of 2025, DiNapoli’s report noted.
The global initial public offering market rallied to $170.1 billion, headlined by SpaceX’s $75 billion June public offering. Meanwhile, global debt issuance reached a record $12.1 trillion in 2025, driven heavily by tech companies funding AI infrastructure.
However, DiNapoli’s report warns that looming risks threaten the rally. Inflation remains stubborn, driving the Federal Reserve to hike its target interest rate to 4% in September. Another hike is widely expected in December.
The Iran war has triggered global supply chain disruptions, pushing crude oil to around $100 a barrel. Stock valuations also look stretched, with the price-to-earnings ratio nearing highs not seen since the 1999 dot-com bubble.
A shifting political landscape injects further uncertainty. DiNapoli’s report highlighted that the current federal administration has aggressively slashed regulations and cut staffing at financial watchdogs like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve by over 20%.
While deregulation lowers compliance costs for banks in the short term, DiNapoli cautioned that it could increase systemic risks for the broader financial sector down the road.
Credit: Source link
