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Sunny first quarter does not change the climate on Wall Street

Encouraging as the banks’ first-quarter figures were, they don't mean that the need for hard strategic thinking has vanished, write Roy C Smith and Brad Hintz

Sunny first quarter does not change the climate on Wall Street
Photo: Getty Images

Wall Street is back. Encouraging as the banks’ first-quarter figures were, however, they do not mean that the need for hard strategic thinking has vanished.

The rebound in trading revenues should not tempt banks that have decided to retreat from the arena to reconsider that choice. The giants of fixed income, currency and commodities that profited so handsomely in the quarter from their constancy to trading, still face long-term performance issues in the post-crisis market-making business.

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