It’s been a while since the banking sector had cause for celebration, but that changed recently when America’s largest banks announced massive profits for the last quarter, kicking off the corporate earnings season with a bang.

While Fed rate hikes have spelled trouble for smaller players like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, they’ve proven beneficial for the big names, who can now charge more for loans. As a result, JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo all exceeded expectations for Q1, with lending revenues skyrocketing.

• JPMorgan, the largest of the pack, reported record revenues and a 52% year-over-year profit increase, reaching $12.6 billion.
• Citigroup, the third-largest US bank, enjoyed a 7% profit increase compared to Q1 2022, raking in $4.6 billion.
• Wells Fargo, the fourth-largest, experienced a 32% profit increase from the first quarter of 2022, totaling just under $5 billion.

These banking giants have not only weathered the storm caused by the most significant bank failures since 2008 but emerged stronger. However, there is debate over whether they’ll be able to retain the numerous new deposits gained from customers fleeing regional lenders.

Smaller banks continue to struggle, and the three mega-banks aren’t quite ready to claim total victory. They’ve warned that credit is likely to become more expensive and have collectively set aside $2 billion in preparation for a potential recession.

While it’s an excellent day for the “too big to fail” banks, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has noted that the risks they’ve been monitoring for the past year persist, with the turmoil in the banking industry only adding to these concerns.