Why a record quarter (Q126) does not settle the structural question, and what the decline of Rome can tell us about the trajectory of capital markets Executive Summary The first quarter of 2026 was, by any reasonable measure, an excellent quarter for the Wall Street franchises. JP Morgan posted record market revenue of $11.6 billion, up 20% year on year. Goldman Sachs reported its second-highest quarterly revenue ever, with record equities trading of $5.33 billion and inves

In my ALM work, I often describe gap analysis as equal parts art and science. The science is in the data, the cash flow buckets, and the duration calculations. The art is in understanding how real customers behave when the world changes around them. Stablecoins and tokenized deposits are two of those changes that are quietly rewriting the rules of balance sheet management. As we work through the actual mechanics, a complex set of trade-offs emerges. For corporate treasurers,

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of our global AI update. This month, the AI landscape didn’t just evolve, it scaled at an unprecedented pace. From record-breaking funding rounds to deeper enterprise integrations and national-level infrastructure bets, the focus is clearly shifting toward building long-term AI ecosystems. What stands out is how quickly AI is becoming foundational, not just a tool, but core infrastructure for business, creativity, and even public policy. Big