Wells Fargo anticipates mid-teen percentage growth in revenue from its investment banking and trading operations in the second quarter, Chief Executive Charlie Scharf said on Wednesday at the Bernstein Conference. Scharf added that the bank is on track to achieve low double-digit revenue growth in its wealth management business.
The comments echoed the firm’s recent quarterly performance: in the first quarter, Wells Fargo recorded a 12.7% increase in revenue within its investment banking arm and a 19% rise in markets revenue. Scharf said client activity across investment banking and market-facing businesses remained robust, and he highlighted opportunities to deepen client relationships through additional balance-sheet deployment.
Regulatory developments have also shaped Wells Fargo’s near-term strategy. Regulators removed the bank’s asset cap, a restriction that had limited the firm’s expansion in deposits and lending. Scharf framed the lift of the cap as enabling more aggressive growth in those areas after years of constrained activity.
On the cost side, Scharf said Wells Fargo expects to pursue growth with "little or no expense growth," noting the bank will continue to seek efficiency gains across the company. That emphasis on controlling expenses accompanies the revenue targets he outlined for trading, investment banking and wealth management.
Commentary from peers at the same conference was similarly upbeat. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told attendees that his firm’s investment banking fees could rise 10% or more in the second quarter. Bank of America’s Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said trading revenue at his bank is expected to climb about 15% year over year in the quarter, linking some of the market volatility to shifting U.S. tariffs.
Taken together, Wells Fargo’s guidance and peer remarks point to a sector-wide expectation of improving fee and trading revenue in the quarter, while also highlighting the role of regulatory changes and market volatility in shaping banks’ near-term revenue opportunities.