JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon signalled he plans to remain in charge of the largest US bank for “a few years,” offering fresh clarity on leadership succession even as the lender projected strong investment banking and trading performance, Reuters reported.Speaking at the bank’s Investor Day in New York, Dimon said he does not intend to step down immediately and may continue with the firm in a different role after eventually relinquishing the chief executive position.“I’m here for a few years as CEO, and maybe a few after that, as executive chairman, pending whatever the board wants to do,” Dimon said.His remarks come amid long-running investor speculation over succession planning at JPMorgan, where Dimon has led the bank for two decades. The lender’s board, he has previously said, remains focused on preparing a deep bench of executives capable of eventually taking over leadership.Under Dimon’s tenure, JPMorgan has risen to become Wall Street’s largest bank by both assets and market value, with a market capitalisation exceeding $800 billion — eclipsing the combined value of rivals Bank of America and Citigroup.Alongside leadership commentary, JPMorgan said it expects investment banking fees and markets revenue to post strong growth in the first quarter, easing concerns that recent equity market turbulence could disrupt dealmaking activity.Investor worries had grown after a sharp sell-off in software and technology stocks — driven by fears of artificial intelligence disruption — raised doubts about mergers and acquisitions and IPO pipelines for high-growth companies.Allaying those concerns, the bank said investment banking fees are expected to rise by a mid-teens percentage, potentially reaching the high teens in the quarter.“We started the year strong. Pipelines were very good, and it was broad based. The one thing I will say in M&A (is that) there are powerful strategic drivers,” Doug Petno, Co-CEO of JPMorgan’s commercial and investment bank, said. “I think a lot of these transactions will survive the volatility and carry on.”Markets revenue is also expected to increase by a mid-teens percentage, supported by elevated trading activity during volatile market conditions, when investors hedge risks and reposition portfolios.The bank kept its forecast for annual adjusted expenses unchanged at $105 billion as it continues investing heavily in technology and artificial intelligence initiatives.JPMorgan expects to spend $19.8 billion on technology in 2026, up 10% from a year earlier.“We continue to invest in AI and we’re seeing tangible benefits in multiple areas. Machine learning and analytical AI have been driving improvements in revenue,” Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum said, as quoted Reuters.UBS analyst Erika Najarian said markets increasingly view large money-centre banks as relative beneficiaries of AI disruption, adding investors are keen to understand both productivity gains and revenue opportunities from the technology.Executives said US consumers remain resilient despite elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty, helping sustain spending and credit quality.JPMorgan executive Marianne Lake said the bank had not seen deterioration among lower-income consumers and that “everything is solid” on the consumer front.The lender is targeting a return on tangible common equity of 17%, a key profitability metric measuring how efficiently tangible equity generates profits.In January, JPMorgan reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analysts’ estimates as volatile markets boosted trading income. The bank beat Wall Street profit forecasts in all four quarters last year, according to LSEG-compiled data.JPMorgan shares rose 34.4% in 2025, outperforming both large-cap US banking peers and the broader equity market, while the stock traded marginally higher in post-market activity.
