As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at investment banking & brokerage stocks, starting with Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS).

Investment banks and brokerages facilitate capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, and securities trading. The sector benefits from corporate activity during economic expansion, increased retail trading participation, and advisory opportunities in emerging sectors. Headwinds include economic cycle vulnerability affecting deal flow, compressed trading commissions due to electronic platforms, and regulatory capital requirements constraining certain higher-risk activities.

The 16 investment banking & brokerage stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS)

Founded in 1869 as a small commercial paper business in New York City, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is a global financial institution that provides investment banking, securities, asset management, and consumer banking services to corporations, governments, and individuals.

Goldman Sachs reported revenues of $17.23 billion, up 14.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 6.7% since reporting and currently trades at $968.96.

Is now the time to buy Goldman Sachs? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Evercore (NYSE: EVR)

Founded in 1995 as a boutique advisory firm focused on independence and client trust, Evercore (NYSE: EVR) is an independent investment banking firm that provides strategic advisory, capital markets, and wealth management services to corporations, financial sponsors, and high-net-worth individuals.

Evercore reported revenues of $1.40 billion, up 100% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 16.6%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Evercore delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $340.92.

Is now the time to buy Evercore? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Perella Weinberg (NASDAQ: PWP)

Founded in 2006 by veteran investment bankers Joseph Perella and Peter Weinberg during a wave of boutique advisory firm launches, Perella Weinberg Partners (NASDAQ: PWP) is a global independent advisory firm that provides strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and government institutions.

Perella Weinberg reported revenues of $148.9 million, down 29.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 10.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

Perella Weinberg delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 19.1% since the results and currently trades at $18.40.

Read our full analysis of Perella Weinberg’s results here.

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ)

Tracing its roots back to 1848 when it began as a dry goods merchant in New Orleans, Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) is a global financial advisory and asset management firm that provides strategic advice to corporations, governments, institutions, and wealthy individuals.

Lazard reported revenues of $673 million, up 4.6% year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 4.9%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

The stock is down 5.2% since reporting and currently trades at $45.98.

Read our full, actionable report on Lazard here, it’s free.

Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR)

Founded in 1977 and known for its sophisticated trading technology and global reach across 150+ exchanges in 34 countries, Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) is a global electronic broker that provides low-cost trading and investment services across stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, and other financial instruments.

Interactive Brokers reported revenues of $1.68 billion, up 20.3% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 10.9% since reporting and currently trades at $88.26.

Read our full, actionable report on Interactive Brokers here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.