Wall Street is on track for a record-shattering $90 billion year — and massive bonuses to go with it, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office said Tuesday.
asserted
office → shatter → it
The securities industry posted $45.9 billion in profits just in the first half of this year, up 51.3% from the same time frame in 2025, according to a new report from the Empire State’s official bean counter.
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industry → post → counter
The blockbuster figure puts Wall Streeters on track to rake in $90 billion by New Year’s Eve, the comptroller forecast — up nearly 40% from 2025’s total profits of $65.1 billion.
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comptroller → put → billion
Instead, Wall Street’s momentum has accelerated through the first half of 2026, driven by an artificial intelligence boom and a surge in global dealmaking.
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momentum → accelerate → dealmaking
The industry is building on a steady boom from 2025.
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industry → build → 2025
According to the state data, the average Wall Street salary in the city soared 11.1% to $561,770 last year.
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salary → accord → 561,770
The annual bonus pool expanded 9% to an unprecedented $49.2 billion in 2025.
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pool → expand → 2025
Wall Street also added 7,000 jobs, bringing the city’s securities workforce to a record 207,400.
State and local governments are reaping the rewards of the windfall.
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governments → add → windfall
The industry injected $7.8 billion into New York City’s budget during the 2026 fiscal year, a 15.8% increase.
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industry → inject → increase
It also pumped $26.3 billion into state coffers, jumping 28.5%.
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It → pump → coffers
The sector now accounts for roughly 19% of the city’s entire economic output.
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sector → account → output
Dealmakers remain exceptionally busy.
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Dealmakers → remain → ?
Underwriting revenues skyrocketed 68% in the first half of 2026, while global mergers and acquisitions hit $2.8 trillion, marking the highest half-year total on record.
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mergers → skyrocket → record
Tech investments have dominated market activity.
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investments → dominate → activity
Investors poured $407 billion into AI venture capital during the first six months of the year, easily topping the total for all of 2025, DiNapoli’s report noted.
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report → pour → 2025
The global initial public offering market rallied to $170.1 billion, headlined by SpaceX’s $75 billion June public offering.
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market → rally → offering
Meanwhile, global debt issuance reached a record $12.1 trillion in 2025, driven heavily by tech companies funding AI infrastructure.
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issuance → reach → infrastructure
However, DiNapoli’s report warns that looming risks threaten the rally.
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risks → warn → rally
Inflation remains stubborn, driving the Federal Reserve to hike its target interest rate to 4% in September.
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Inflation → remain → September
Another hike is widely expected in December.
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hike → expect → December
The Iran war has triggered global supply chain disruptions, pushing crude oil to around $100 a barrel.
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war → trigger → 100
Stock valuations also look stretched, with the price-to-earnings ratio nearing highs not seen since the 1999 dot-com bubble.
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ratio → look → bubble
A shifting political landscape injects further uncertainty.
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landscape → shift → uncertainty
DiNapoli’s report highlighted that the current federal administration has aggressively slashed regulations and cut staffing at financial watchdogs like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve by over 20%.
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administration → highlight → %
While deregulation lowers compliance costs for banks in the short term, DiNapoli cautioned that it could increase systemic risks for the broader financial sector down the road.
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it → lower → road
The Aporia
