Bank of America reported higher profit on Thursday as its investment bankers capitalized on resurgence in dealmaking in the fourth quarter.

BofA's investment banking fees jumped 44% to $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with a year earlier. Across the industry, global investment banking revenue jumped 26% to $86.80 billion, led by a 33% surge in North America, according to data from Dealogic. BofA earned the third-highest revenue among banks globally.

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Morgan Stanley's profit increased in the fourth quarter, fueled by a wave of dealmaking. The investment bank's earnings grew to $3.7 billion, or $2.22 per share, it said on Thursday, compared with $1.

Morgan Stanley said its profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter, fueled by its investment banking and trading businesses. Profit surged 145% to $3.71 billion. That amounted to $2.22 per share,

Morgan Stanley’s institutional securities group, which houses its investment banking and trading businesses, reported revenue of $7.3 billion in the fourth quarter, a 49% jump from $4.9 billion a year earlier.

Morgan Stanley's profit increased in the fourth quarter, fueled by a wave of dealmaking and stock sales that drove its revenue to a full-year record. Investment banking fees gained from a surge in mergers and acquisitions as sentiment was boosted by a strong U.