AnnaMaria Andriotis

Morgan Stanley's CEO Ted Pick said that future investment banking volume is growing, laying out a case for why activity is likely to rise this year. "The pipeline is clearly growing...across sectors," Pick said on the bank's earnings call on Tuesday. “My bullishness is…a view that corporate boardrooms have been quiet for three, four years, and that is not sustainable," he said.

A Goldman Sachs shareholder proposal that sought to separate the bank's chairman and CEO positions failed to pass on Wednesday—even as it won more support among shareholders than last year. Of Goldman shares that were voted, 33% were in favor of splitting the positions held by David Solomon. A similar vote on Brian Moynihan’s dual roles at Bank of America won support from 31% of votes on Wednesday.

Bankers are dropping the phrase like seeds at spring planting, optimistic about signs of an end to dealmaking’s long freeze.

Bankers’ favorite metaphor is sprouting all over as optimists see signs that dealmaking is coming back to life.

The bank is losing money every month on the program as savvy customers flock to the card and projections on key revenue drivers turn out to be inaccurate.

The bank’s overall profit increased 150% from a year ago, when it was in the middle of a pullback from consumer lending.

The dealmaking Goldman Sachs and its peers rely on to power earnings is showing signs of life. Goldman joined JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo in reporting double-digit gains in investment-banking revenue in the second quarter as economic conditions and booming markets turned more favorable. Goldman, which has refocused on its Wall Street operations after deciding to exit consumer lending, reported a 27% revenue jump in its asset- and wealth-management business.

Goldman Sachs is out with second-quarter earnings. Here are some highlights: + Profit rose 150% from one year earlier to $3.04 billion. + Revenue increased 17% to $12.73 billion. + Investment banking revenue was $1.

Morgan Stanley reported its second-quarter earnings. Here are the highlights: + Profit increased 41% from a year earlier to $3.08 billion. + Revenue was $15 billion, up 12% from a year earlier . + Investment banking revenue rose 51% from a year earlier to $1.

Bank plans to offer everyday customers of the robo-adviser Betterment investment portfolios designed to help them save money on taxes.