Trading

Banks hit as commodities revenues slump to pre-crisis low

A big drop in FX revenues also contributed to a sluggish first half for investment banks' fixed income divisions

Banks hit as commodities revenues slump to pre-crisis low
Photo: iStockPhoto

Commodities revenues at the major global investment banks fell to their lowest level in more than a decade during the first half of the year, a period that also proved a big challenge for FX traders.

First-half revenues from sales and trading across oil, metals, coal, agriculture and power and gas amounted to $1.3bn at the 12 large banks tracked by data provider Coalition. That total was down 41% year-on-year and the lowest for the period since Coalition began collecting data in 2006.

WSJ Logo
U.S. Attack on Iran Injects Uncertainty Into Already Uncertain EconomyExternal link

U.S. Attack on Iran Injects Uncertainty Into Already Uncertain Economy