Last year was a big year for US banks in Asia, and 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger. Many of the top firms credited Asian businesses for an increase in last year’s performance during Q4 earnings calls, and some are looking to grow their presence on the continent.

Click here to join the bubble by eFinancialCareers, our new anonymous community. ✍️

Bank of America, for example, beat analyst predictions with a 23% increase in equities trading; executives said in the call that the growth was "supported by increased activity in Asia."

At Morgan Stanley, overall revenues in Asia grew by 50% over the last two years, as non-US revenues grew to 25% of the bank’s total income. Bonuses at Morgan Stanley in Asia were thought to be good this year, up 20% year-on-year, according to Bloomberg. In 2025, Asia generated more revenues than Europe within Morgan Stanley’s institutional securities group, home to its investment banking and trading teams.

Goldman Sachs seems to see room for improvement in its Asia franchise. Speaking during last week’s investor call to discuss fourth quarter results, Goldman Sachs executives said the firm is "looking to close the share gap in Asia" with a focus on key client segments "including insurers, wealth managers and RIAs [registered investment advisors] as well as in certain product areas like corporate derivatives. "

There’s a common favourite location for these banks to hire in 2026: India. Their GCCs (global capacity centres) have hundreds of openings, while other major Asian offices like Hong Kong and Singapore are more likely to have tens. The biggest hirers in India and Asia alike are the banks that didn’t have as much to say about their Asian franchises, Citi and JPMorgan.

There haven’t been many senior arrivals in recent months from these banks, though. The exception is Citi’s FX trading desk, which Bloomberg reported made a number of senior hires across India, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: Telegram: @AlexMcMurray, WhatsApp: (+1 269 237 3950). Click here to fill in our anonymous form, or email editortips@efinancialcareers.com.

Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: all our comments are moderated by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. Eventually it will – unless it’s offensive or libelous (in which case it won’t.)