New York, May 25, 2026, 09:20 EDT
JPMorgan Chase & Co. goes into the holiday-shortened week after a bounce last week, with shares not trading Monday for Memorial Day. The NYSE says Monday, May 25, is a 2026 holiday for its markets and usual hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern on trading days.
The bank finished Friday at $306.38, rising 1.12% for the day. Shares are now trading about 2.9% above where they closed on May 15 at $297.81, after a volatile week that saw a fall on Tuesday then gains over the next three days.
Timing is key. JPMorgan trades Tuesday right before several pieces of U.S. economic data that might shift rate outlooks. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts out the second estimate of first-quarter GDP on Thursday, and its April Personal Income and Outlays report, which brings the PCE figure the Fed tracks for inflation. For the banks, interest rates go straight to net interest income — what they pull in on loans and securities after paying out to depositors.
Bank of America and Wells Fargo both rose about 0.6% Friday among the big banks. Citigroup slipped. JPMorgan added 1.1%, the best move in the group. Investors seemed willing to pay more for shares of the biggest U.S. bank, not just the sector as a whole.
AI hiring is back in focus at JPMorgan after CEO Jamie Dimon told Bloomberg News that the bank would probably bring on more AI specialists and hire fewer traditional bankers, according to Reuters. “I think it will reduce our jobs down the road,” Dimon said. For banks, artificial intelligence—software that takes on work usually done by humans—is now a staffing and cost story, not just a Silicon Valley theme. Reuters
JPMorgan is deploying AI tools across its investment banking business worldwide, Asia Pacific investment banking chief Paul Uren told Reuters. “AI streamlines the preparation of content and materials,” Uren said. Traders may take that to mean higher productivity for bankers and, as a result, less strain on junior hours down the line. Reuters
Deal activity is still the main upside story. Anu Aiyengar, global chair of investment banking at JPMorgan, told Reuters, “collaborations, partnerships, and acquisitions all are on the table” as firms look for scale and partners in a volatile market. Uren said JPMorgan posted record Q1 results in Global Investment Banking, with revenue up 38%. Reuters
JPMorgan keeps landing large finance deals. Wall Street banks led by JPMorgan have bumped up a Warner Bros Discovery loan package past $10 billion ahead of the Paramount Skydance merger, Reuters said. Big deals can still bring in fees even with macro risks in play.
U.S. regulators also gave a lift, but not one that tends to push a stock for long. The eight largest U.S. banks and 56 foreign banking groups got approval on their “living wills”—the plans that lay out how they could be unwound in bankruptcy. Regulators said previous issues flagged at JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup were fixed. Reuters
The risk hasn’t gone away. According to Reuters, which cited the Financial Times, JPMorgan is in talks to offload risk on over $4 billion in loans to private-equity funds. Those net asset value loans are backed by fund assets, and moving the risk would put possible losses with other investors. Reuters said it couldn’t immediately confirm the report. JPMorgan didn’t reply right away to a request for comment.
Strong earnings are still holding up the stock. JPMorgan posted first-quarter profit of $5.94 a share last month, ahead of the $5.45 analysts had called for. Markets revenue climbed 20% to $11.6 billion and net revenue gained 10% to $50.5 billion. CEO Jamie Dimon still pointed to “geopolitical tensions and wars” as serious risks. Reuters
JPMorgan’s setup in the coming week is straightforward but tough. Investors will be watching for placid inflation and GDP reports. If the data is calm, attention turns right back to JPMorgan’s trading results, investment banking, and how it is telling the AI cost story. But if PCE comes in hot or growth data weakens, or if worries over private-credit exposure resurface, traders might take profits on last week’s 2.9% rally before June hits.
