Who are the best bankers in the world? How do you measure a piece of string?
Courtesy of market intelligence firm Tricumen, there might be a measuring stick to use. Stacking up bank revenues in the first half of the year and dividing by the number of front-office Full Time Employees (FTE), Tricumen devises the comparative efficiency (or rather, revenue produced) of each bank’s bankers.
Based on Tricumen’s data, Goldman and JPM’s “Capital Markets” people (a wide net encompassing both investment banking and trading) are, by some margin, the best in the industry. On average, they produce 1.5 higher standard deviations more revenue than their peer group – way higher than closest competitors, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, who are also strong performers but only produced 0.5 standard deviations more revenue, on average.
Morgan Stanley’s runner-up position is not a surprise, but Wells Fargo is. Data from (fellow) market intelligence provider Dealogic doesn’t put the bank on its global top seven for ECM, DCM, or M&A revenue (or even in the top ten for investment banking as a whole).
And yet Wells Fargo has by far the most efficient investment bankers in the industry, producing revenues two standard deviations above the average. That’s pretty big – a number of banks got closest (including Royal Bank of Canada and BofA) but none got up to one standard above the average.
In sales and trading, Deutsche Bank’s Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities (FICC) traders put up a valiant effort but were behind both Goldman and JPM’s. Morgan Stanley put up a similar fight for equities, with the same level of success.
The charts below show relative performance, measured by operating revenue per front office full-time employee. Banks are compared relative to a group average, in standard deviations from that average. The dashed circle indicates the average. Each dash on the lines eminating from the centre indicate half a standard deviation from the average.
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FAQs
Both banks generate a sizable portion of revenues from market-making. However, Goldman Sachs is more dependent on such business. JPMorgan's revenue streams are a bit more diversified. JP Morgan has over three times the amount of assets as Goldman Sachs and generates over three times the net revenue.
Why J.P. Morgan is different from other banks? ›
How is J.P. Morgan different from other banks that work with startups? The firm has decades of global experience, a robust professional and venture capital network, and scalable treasury management solutions—which can make us the only bank you'll ever need.
Is Goldman Sachs a bank for the rich? ›
Goldman Sachs is reportedly increasing its efforts to court ultra-rich clientele. The banking giant has been more focused on lending to private wealth customers — those with an average of $60 million deposited, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Sunday (Jan. 14).
What is the hardest bank to get into? ›
Ex-Goldman Sachs helping train students/recent grads to secure jobs in banking - 90% placement rate to banks like GS, UBS and JP. These are the 10 hardest investment banks to get a job at in the world🌍👇 1. JP Morgan 2. Goldman Sachs 3.
Which is the top No 1 bank in the world? ›
What are the big 4 investment banks? ›
What Are the Big 4 Investment Banks? The big four are JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. Some other global giants are treading on their heels, including Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Credit Suisse, and UBS. There are at least 100 highly-regarded global investment banks.
Is J.P. Morgan the strongest bank? ›
J.P. Morgan Private Bank is named 2024's “World's Best Private Bank” for the fifth year in a row. For its ninth annual World's Best Private Banks Awards, Global Finance Magazine ranked J.P. Morgan Private Bank* first overall.
Is J.P. Morgan the most powerful bank? ›
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational financial institution headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. It is the largest bank in the United States and the world's largest bank by market capitalization as of 2023.
Is Goldman Sachs still the best? ›
Goldman Sachs is widely known as the most prestigious investment bank on Wall Street.
What bank do most billionaires use? ›
JP Morgan Private Bank
“J.P. Morgan Private Bank is the more elite program serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals,” Naghibi said. “It offers comprehensive services in savings, checking and retirement account management.
The bank also got caught up in a Malaysian investment scandal involving billions of dollars. Most recently, Goldman's venture into consumer banking has bit the dust, failing to gain traction with potential customers. The bank has closed most of the consumer operation after spending billions to get it off the ground.
Where do billionaires do their banking? ›
Private Banks
These services are especially appealing as they help the ultra-rich grow and preserve their wealth. Private banks also offer high-value financing for assets like aircrafts, yachts and real estate, with some banks even offering asset and lifestyle management rather than just financial products.
What bank has the most issues? ›
Which Bank Has the Most Complaints? In terms of sheer numbers, Bank of America tops the list with 128,404, which is the most complaints issued overall. However, when it comes to the most complaints per $1 billion deposited, Discover has the highest rate at 247.37 complaints.
Which bank is least likely to fail? ›
Summary: Safest Banks In The U.S. Of April 2024
| Bank | Forbes Advisor Rating | Products |
|---|
| Chase Bank | 5.0 | Checking, Savings, CDs |
| Bank of America | 4.2 | Checking, Savings, CDs |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 4.0 | Savings, checking, money market accounts, CDs |
| Citi® | 4.0 | Checking, savings, CDs |
1 more rowJan 29, 2024
- Capital One Bank.
- PNC Bank.
- Bank of New York Mellon.
- U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank)
- Wells Fargo.
- Citibank.
- Bank of America.
- JPMorgan Chase.
Bankers continue to regard Goldman Sachs as the world's most prestigious bank, followed (as always) by Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.
Is Goldman Sachs the most powerful bank in the world? ›
Goldman Sachs is the second largest investment bank in the world by revenue and is ranked 55th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. In Forbes Global 2000 2023, Goldman Sachs ranked 34th.
