Wall Street is reveling in a year of mega deals, a surging stock market, and a continuing AI frenzy.
The latest signal is a 2026 bonus boom expected to spill across most corners of finance, according to Johnson Associates
The compensation consulting firm has hiked bonus projections by an average of 3 percentage points from its already bullish first quarter forecast. The firm tracks across 21 Wall Street job categories. Four out of five Wall Street jobs are projected to see a bonus increase over last year.
A clear theme: Big banks are expected to far outpace other institutions. “Banks, at least for now, are leading the pack,” said Alan Johnson, founder of the Wall Street consulting firm. The bonus differential is so evident that Johnson’s firm is calling 2026 the “Year of the Bank.” The rise of Wall Street banks comes after they posted record first-half earnings. The giants took advantage of unusually active markets while US customers continued to spend and borrow.