Bank earnings are back in the spotlight on January 13, 2026, as JPMorgan Chase opens a busy reporting week for the largest U.S. lenders.

Expectations have risen into the print, driven by a rebound in investment-banking activity and resilient trading desks. At the same time, investors are weighing fresh policy noise around consumer lending, including headlines about a proposed credit-card APR cap.

The setup for bank earnings this week

Bank earnings begin with JPMorgan’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, with the firm scheduled to release results around 7:00 a.m. ET and host a call at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Several peers follow quickly, putting bank earnings at the center of U.S. markets through January 15. Reuters reported that Citigroup, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo are due on January 14, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley on January 15.

This sequencing matters because it offers a rapid read-through across business models. Investors get early signals on net interest income, trading, and investment-banking fees, then can compare how those drivers translate into capital returns and guidance.

Investment-banking rebound boosts the bank earnings outlook

The clearest tailwind into bank earnings is a healthier deal-and-underwriting tape. Reuters pointed to stronger dealmaking as a key driver of expected profit gains, citing improved IPO activity and a rise in mergers and acquisitions.

Argus Research analyst Stephen Biggar captured the mood, saying the fourth quarter “shaped up to be a perfect recipe” for investment-banking revenues as multiple fee lines improved at once.

That broader rebound shows up in industry data, too. Reuters reported global M&A volume rose 42% in 2025 to $5.1 trillion, a level that supports advisory fees and financing work across Wall Street.

The Financial Times also flagged momentum into year-end, estimating the five largest U.S. firms could report roughly $10 billion of fourth-quarter investment-banking revenues, up year over year.

What investors will look for inside bank earnings

Bank earnings rarely hinge on a single line item. This week, the market’s checklist looks unusually split between capital-markets strength and consumer-credit risk.

First, investors will focus on whether investment-banking gains are broad-based or concentrated in a few franchises. A balanced recovery across advisory, equity underwriting, and debt underwriting typically supports more durable fee pools.

Second, credit-card performance is likely to draw close attention. Even if headline credit metrics remain stable, any change in charge-off trends or reserve-building can move near-term earnings expectations.

Third, capital plans will matter. Stronger bank earnings can translate into buybacks and higher payouts, but management teams may stay cautious if they see volatility ahead.

Policy risk enters the bank earnings conversation

Alongside fundamentals, bank earnings are now colliding with Washington headlines. On January 12, 2026, Reuters reported President Donald Trump proposed a one-year 10% cap on credit card interest rates, which sparked a selloff in financial stocks tied to consumer lending.

Another Reuters report noted Wall Street skepticism about whether such a cap could advance without congressional action, but the headline risk has already affected sentiment.

For bank earnings, this matters in two ways. Policy uncertainty can pressure valuation multiples even if results beat estimates. It can also push management teams to address pricing, underwriting standards, and credit access on their calls.

Why this bank earnings week matters for markets

Bank earnings often set the tone for broader earnings season because banks touch the real economy and the capital markets at once. A cleaner deal environment can support fee income, compensation pools, and shareholder returns. It can also reinforce expectations that corporate activity is normalizing after a quieter stretch.

Still, the trade-off is clear. Stronger bank earnings may be met with tougher questions about consumer-credit regulation and the rate path, especially if investors fear earnings durability could fade.