Tax

Markets welcomed the 90-day pause on President Donald Trump's tariff plan, but banker forecasts for mergers and acquisitions and earnings remain uncertain.

President Trump's tariff regime and resulting price shocks may put additional pressure on small banks, requiring an already undermanned Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to turn to assisted M&A deals to resolve failed banks, accelerating consolidation in the industry.

As tariff turbulence continues, BofA is predicting a slowdown, not a downturn. But America's second-largest bank is also signaling that it's prepared for a more severe scenario.

CEO Jane Fraser said Tuesday that the bank is positioned well to handle shakiness in the global market, and is still working on its years-long overhaul.

Experts say transaction growth is OK now, but the next year will be fraught with risk.

Federal Reserve Board member Christopher Waller said he would not be deterred from classifying inflation as "transitory" despite the board's recent experience underestimating inflationary pressures.

Just three months after hailing a positive "sentiment shift" following last November's election, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon lamented President Trump's trade war and said "the prospect of a recession has increased."

The chief executives at four of the nation's largest banks weighed in on what evolving trade policies mean for their businesses and the U.S. economy. "I think you have to be a little bit pessimistic here," said Bank of New York Mellon CEO Robin Vince.

The JPMorgan Chase CEO said Friday that recent turmoil in the bond market highlights the need for more capital and liquidity flexibility.

Bank of New York Mellon's earnings blew past Wall Street's expectations, but CEO Robin Vince said the bank is bracing for long-lasting uncertainty.

After rapid changes in U.S. trade policy, banks and their clients are putting merger deals on ice until the dust settles.

The Minneapolis Fed chief repeated his view that the potential inflationary impact of tariffs make the Fed less likely to lower interest rates, even in the face of a weakening economy.

The administration's unpredictable policy has already caused shifts in foreign exchange rates and supply chain payments. Uncertainty about future levies will cause added pressure despite the 90-day pause.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said to understand how banks are faring in the current environment of tariff-induced uncertainty, he'll be watching the relationship between credit spreads and equity markets.

In an era of deglobalization, decentralized financial products like blockchains are looking more appealing to some.

Investors are finding a haven from stock market and crypto volatility, but an economic downturn could slow overall spending, imperiling stablecoins in retail and corporate transactions.

President Trump placed a 90-day pause on most of his sweeping tariff package, but for banks and other financial market participants, the threat of volatility remains.

The tariff regime unveiled last week by President Donald Trump has injected a significant dose of uncertainty into the banking industry and unleashed the specter of an economic slowdown.

Municipal AAA yield curves were cut up to another 42 basis points, depending on the curve, as of noon, pushing yields to multi-year highs and long-end muni to UST ratios above 100%. Muni yields have risen up to nearly 100 basis points in spots since the bond market rout began.

In a speech at the American Bankers Association Washington Summit Wednesday morning, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed economic risks from tariffs, floated capital reforms and urged regulatory relief for community banks.