FICC fears well founded as first banks show their hands

The first wave of the big investment banks reported first quarter numbers this week, showing that the promised dive in fixed income trading revenues was no idle warning, writes Owen Sanderson. JP Morgan, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse all reported first quarter FICC or fixed income numbers down between 15% and 21%, as trading volumes and volatility slumped.