The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

U.S. Bancorp

Citizens Bancorp

KeyCorp

M&T Bank Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation

The eight largest regional banks in America, traded on the stock exchange, increased profits for the first quarter of this year by an average of about 22% year on year, according to a <a href="https://know.creditsights.com/regional-banks-1q26-earnings-round-up-pdf/?utm_campaign=34118523-Gated%20Content%20Download%20-%202026&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8XE6G3FCNmvnX2Zj1SzalHDSq7rSgdT95VlQrlYVjQMOytYcn4WdquVA_aavwqO-4SHLzxpOSQ1MZoXN77fhSuqo19Hg&amp;_hsmi=414679993&amp;utm_content=414679993&amp;utm_source=hs_automation">review of</a> CreditSights. At the same time, the growth of some players reached 39-40% - in particular, Citizens Financial and Fifth Third Bancorp.

U.S. regional banks have increased profits. Which ones do analysts advise investors to buy?

Astec Industries, Inc.

Trilogy Metals Inc.

Taylor Devices, Inc.

Aeluma, Inc.

Northeast Community Bancorp, Inc.

Since the start of the year, the small- and mid-cap segment has shown a notable recovery: the Russell 2000 index has gained more than 12%, while the broader S&amp;P 500 is up less than 5%. Volatility remains elevated amid geopolitical uncertainty and turbulence in commodity markets. In this environment, Freedom Finance Global analyst Georgy Timoshin suggests viewing the market through a balance of two factors: economic growth and inflationary pressure. Based on this approach, he has come up with five stocks with solid upside over the next 12 months.

Where to invest $1,000 right now: Five small caps set to rise in next 12 months

Independent Bank Corporation

Hanmi Financial Corporation

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc.

Horizon Bancorp, Inc.

Accel Entertainment, Inc.

Green Dot Corporation

Freedom Broker, on the request of <i>Oninvest</i>, looked at which small caps in the financial sector were most popular among hedge funds in the fourth quarter. The sample includes 10 companies with market capitalizations below $6 billion during the period. Their stocks trade below $35 a share.

10 small-cap financial  stocks cheaper than $35 based on hedge fund holdings

Sudden account blocking has become a parable not only for private but also for business clients of neobanks. Entrepreneurs complain of funds freezing, paralyzing their business, and forced account closure without explanation. Automated compliance using AI that neobanks employ is partly to blame. What should an entrepreneur do if his account is blocked; Oninvest found out.

What to do if a neobank in the EU has closed a business account?

Mexican fintech company Plata, founded by former top managers of Russian bank Tinkoff (now T-Bank), has raised $405 mln in a new round of financing. Thus, the company's valuation has reached $5 billion, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michael-calvey-16887776_plata-hits-5-billion-valuation-in-bicycle-activity-7450397633904427008-4tBU">said</a> one of Plata's investors Michael Calvey in Linkedin. This is the highest figure in Latin America among private financial companies, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-15/plata-hits-5-billion-valuation-in-bicycle-capital-led-funding">notes</a>.

Plata, founded by Tinkoff natives, reached a valuation of $5 billion

Bank of America Corporation

Morgan Stanley

Leading US banks benefited from market volatility during the Iran crisis

BofA and Morgan Stanley saw record profits from stock trading amid war

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The bank also posted record trading revenue for the first three months of 2026, but JPMorgan shares fell

JPMorgan reported the second most profitable quarter in history. What about the stock?

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Goldman Sachs reported the highest quarterly profit for the last five years, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/35f3b97a-988d-4925-b550-74cda0e28717">the</a> Financial Times (FT) has <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/2026-04-13-q1-results">noted</a> - such results the bank <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/2026-04-13-q1-results">recorded</a> at the end of the first three months of 2026. The record performance of Goldman Sachs equity traders compensated for the unexpected drop in income from fixed-income transactions, the newspaper notes.<br>

Goldman Sachs reported its most profitable quarter in five years amid war with Iran

The Carlyle Group Inc.

Blue Owl Capital Inc.

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

BlackRock, Inc.

Citigroup Inc.

Fears are growing on Wall Street about a potential crisis in the private credit market. Investment firm PIMCO believes the roughly $2 trillion sector is in for a stress <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-06/pimco-says-private-debt-should-face-full-blown-default-cycle">test</a>. But a crisis for some is an opportunity for others. Independent analyst Mikhail Zavaraev discusses who can capitalize on the problems of the private lending sector.

Wall Street fears a crisis in the private credit market. Who can capitalize on it? 

In February 2026, a Baku military court sentenced Ruben Vardanian, an investment banker who pioneered the stock market in Russia, to 20 years in prison. Prior to that, he served as prime minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), which was the steepest turn in his 30-year career and led him to an Azerbaijani prison. Oninvest looked into how Vardanyan went from Forbes list member and investment banker to politician and prisoner.

Investment banker Ruben Vardanyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court in Azerbaijan. What led him to this? 

A growing customer base and a Bank of England license pave the way for the company to compete directly with traditional banks

Fintech Revolut reports record profits for 2025

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Aegon Ltd.

The day before, the bank's strategists recommended clients to short the securities of 17 European financial companies, including Deutsche Bank, because of the risks to which they are exposed due to the private lending sector

Banks