The “big four banks” in the United States are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. These banks are not only the largest in the United States, but also rank among the top banks worldwide by market capitalization, with JPMorgan Chase being the most valuable bank in the world. Total assets of banks As the largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase had total assets worth close to 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars as of December 2024. Despite being the bank with the highest market capitalization in the world, the bank ranked only fifth in terms of total assets worldwide, while the top four positions were all held by Chinese banks. Stability in the banking sector in the United States In the third quarter of 2024, all the "big four" banks in the United States maintained a common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio significantly above the required minimum of 4.5 percent. JPMorgan Chase reported a CET1 ratio of 15.31 percent. Meanwhile, the highest CET1 ratio among U.S. banks during this period was 16.74 percent, achieved by TD Bank, the tenth-largest bank in the country in 2024.

As of March 2024, JPMorgan Chase Bank was the largest bank in the United States by the number of branches, with 5,110 branches nationwide. It was followed by Wells Fargo Bank, which operated 4,349 branches, and Bank of America, with 3,975 branches. For context, Wells Fargo had approximately three times the number of branches as Lloyds Bank, the leading British bank by branch count. Is the U.S. banking sector stable? The stability of the U.S. banking sector has improved steadily since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The share of non-performing loans held by U.S. banks has consistently decreased over time. As of the first quarter of 2024, all four of the largest U.S. banks—Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup—maintained a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio well above the Basel-III minimum requirement of 4.5 percent. The CET1 capital ratio, which measures a bank’s core capital against its risk-weighted assets, is a key indicator of a bank's financial strength and resilience. Digital banking in the U.S. With the rise of digital services, many traditional banking functions can now be performed online, reducing the need for a physical presence. Since 2009, the number of bank branches in the United States has steadily declined as consumers increasingly rely on digital banking solutions. This trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more Americans turning to online banking for convenience and cost-effectiveness.

As of January 14, 2025, the market capitalization of JPMorgan Chase amounted to 688.68 billion U.S. dollars, making it the largest bank in the United States. By this measure, the second-largest bank was Bank of America, followed by Wells Fargo. JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America were also the two largest banks in the world by market capitalization. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization, or stock market value, is the total value of shares issued by a publicly traded company. It reflects the equity value of a company. Market cap is calculated by multiplying the market price of one share by the number of shares outstanding. For example, the market cap of Bank of America can be calculated by multiplying its share price by the number of shares it has issued. Other measures of company size Total assets also allow to determine the size of a bank. Instead of focusing on the stock price, this metric measures the size of the bank’s operations by counting the size of its balance sheet. Bank revenue and income are also common indicators used to compare banks and their performance.

In 2024, JPMorgan Chase was the commercial bank with the highest revenue in the United States, with a total revenue of over 177 billion U.S. dollars. Bank of America and Wells Fargo followed, with 101.9 and 82.3 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. These three banks were also the largest banks in terms of total assets in the United States that year. Commercial banking A commercial bank is a bank that offers financial services to private customers and companies, such as accepting deposits, checking services or loans. Commercial banks earn money through interest rates on the loans that they offer. Such rates are significantly higher than the interest rates paid to the bank customers for depositing their assets in a bank. This difference in rates is called net interest income, which is one of the leading indicators of bank performance. Commercial vs investment banks Some banks specialize only in commercial or investment banking, while some banks combine both divisions in their operations. Investment banks specialize in managing assets of their clients, underwriting securities or supervising merger and acquisition transactions.

In 2024, JPMorgan Chase was the largest U.S. employer in the banking sector, with a workforce exceeding ******* by year-end. Wells Fargo followed, employing over ******* people. JPMorgan Chase also held the top spot for the most bank branches in the country, a factor that likely contributed to its substantial headcount. Employment in the U.S. banking sector The number of employees of FDIC-insured banks in the United States fluctuated during the last decade, from around **** million in 2012, down to **** million in 2014, and up to around **** million in 2024. There is no clear downward trend in bank employment in the United States, despite the decreasing number of bank branches in the last several years. The largest banks The big four in the U.S. banking industry are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup. The largest, JPMorgan Chase, is not only the leading bank in the United States in terms of market capitalization, but also the leading bank in the world. The bank had a market capitalization of around *** billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

JPMorgan Chase Bank reported the highest value of domestic deposits in the United States as of March 31, 2024. The value of total domestic deposits of JPMorgan Chase exceeded two trillion U.S. dollars. Bank of America reported the second-highest domestic deposits, with a value of around 1.93 trillion U.S. dollars.

JPMorgan Chase was the leading bank in the United States as of December 2024, with its market share of total assets amounting to 14.31 percent. This means that the value of assets of JPMorgan Chase was equivalent to 14.31 percent of the total value of assets of all FDIC-insured institutions in the United States. Bank of America and Wells Fargo followed, with 10.71 and 7.06 percent of the total banking assets, respectively. The value of JPMorgan Chase's total assets exceeded 3.4 trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. JPMorgan Chase: an industry leader in U.S. banking JPMorgan Chase is undoubtedly one of the leading financial services companies in the United States. It does not only rank first in terms of market share of total assets, but it also has the largest market capitalization and value of total and domestic deposits. The New York-based banking giant is also among the largest banks globally. In terms of assets, JPMorgan Chased ranked fifth in 2023, with only four Chinese banks having had higher amounts of assets. Bank failures in the U.S. The failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank in March 2023 marked the first bank failures in the U.S. since 2021. The total assets lost in the failure of these two banks amounted to 319.4 billion U.S. dollars. In comparison, the total assets of the 371 U.S. bank failures between 2010 and 2022 amounted to 168 billion U.S. dollars. Both SVB and Signature Bank had a disproportionately low share of deposits of less than 250,000 U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2022 (2.7 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively), which meant that the majority of deposits held at these banks were not secured by the FDIC.

JPMorgan Chase Bank reported the highest value of equity in the United States as of March 31, 2024. The value of total equity of JPMorgan Chase exceeded 304 billion U.S. dollars. Bank of America reported the second-highest value of equity, with a value of around 237 billion U.S. dollars.

As of June 2024, JPMorgan Chase led the U.S. banking sector with approximately 11.5 percent of total domestic deposits, closely followed by Bank of America at nearly 11 percent. This distribution reflects the concentrated nature of the U.S. banking industry, where, despite thousands of commercial banks operating nationwide, the market is dominated by the top four institutions. The total value of deposits held at FDIC-insured commercial banks has decreased in recent years, amounting to 17.83 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. The U.S. banking industry The banking industry in the United States accounts for tens of trillions of U.S. dollars in assets under management. While there are thousands of commercial banks in the country, the market is dominated by the largest four of these. This is particularly true when considering functions such as private and investment banking. Other measures This ranking presents the market share of domestic assets, but other measures give a slightly different picture. For example, looking at the value of total assets shows a higher market share in the hands of the top four firms. Apart from that, the revenue of leading commercial banks can also give a better idea of banks’ financial standing.

Among the four largest banks headquartered in the United States, JPMorgan Chase had the highest number of active mobile customers in 2024. Over ** million JPMorgan Chase customers were active mobile banking users. Bank of America had the second-highest number of active mobile customers, which was roughly ** million.

The quarterly net incomes of the U.S.' five largest banks all declined substantially in 2022 when compared to 2021. U.S. Bancorp seemed to be the most able to maintain a steady growth rate, particularly between 2012 and 2019. Bank of America, on the other hand, had notable fluctuations over the years. Despite the differences, there seems to be one thing in common: After a sharp increase in four out of the five largest U.S. banks' quarterly income growth rate in the first quarter of 2021, there was a steady decline throughout the rest of 2021. As of 2022, none of the observed banks managed to produce a positive income growth rate. In 2023, however, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo all performed significantly better.

In 2024, Itaú Unibanco was the bank with the highest annual revenue in Latin America. The Brazilian bank had revenue of over 30 billion U.S. dollars. It was followed by Banco do Brasil, with an annual revenue of 29.62 billion U.S. dollars. All five leading banks in terms of revenue were headquartered in Brazil.

As of December 2022, JPMorgan Chase had the highest value of deposits across all FDIC-insured institutions in the United States. JPMorgan Chase's value of deposits amounted to roughly 2.44 billion U.S. dollars, which was followed by Bank of America, with deposits just above two billion U.S. dollars. Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed in March 2022, had 175.38 billion U.S. dollars worth of deposits.

JPMorgan Chase dominated the U.S. banking landscape in 2023, reporting a net income of 47.5 billion U.S. dollars, almost 20 billion more than Bank of America, which ranked second. Wells Fargo ranked third, with a net income of roughly 22 billion U.S. dollars. These three banks were also the largest banks based on total assets. The substantial lead held by JPMorgan Chase underscores its position as the financial powerhouse among American banks, reflecting its robust performance across various banking sectors. Market capitalization and global standing JPMorgan Chase's financial prowess extends beyond net income. With a market capitalization of 491.76 billion U.S. dollars as of December 31, 2023, it stood as the most valuable bank in the United States. Its massive market capitalization also made it the largest bank globally, with Bank of America following from a distance. This impressive valuation, coupled with its substantial net income, cements JPMorgan Chase's status as a financial titan. Asset base of JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase's leadership is also evident in its asset base. The bank held 8.56 percent of total banking assets in the United States as of December 2023, surpassing Bank of America and Wells Fargo. This substantial market share translated to over 3.9 trillion U.S. dollars in total assets.

Bank of America led as the most valuable North American banking brand in 2024, with a brand value of 37.26 billion U.S. dollars. Wells Fargo and Chase tied for second place, each valued at 35.81 billion U.S. dollars. The top five banking brands in North America were all based in the United States. TD Bank, the highest-valued Canadian banking brand, ranked sixth with a brand value of 18.96 billion U.S. dollars.

Brazilian banks dominated the Latin American banking industry in terms of market capitalization in 2024. The five largest banks in the region were all Brazilian. Nu Holdings had the highest market capitalization with 49.65 billion U.S. dollars. The largest non-Brazilian bank in Latin America was Banco de Chile, with a market capitalization of 11.51 billion U.S. dollars.

In the first half of 2024, JPMorgan Chase led the largest U.S. banks in terms of return on equity (ROE), reporting an impressive 15.79 percent. Fifth Third Bank secured the second position with a ROE of 11.66 percent. Citizens Bank and Wells Fargo followed in the ranking, with a ROE of 10.07 percent and 9.62 percent, respectively.

As of December 2024, JPMorgan Chase Bank led U.S. financial institutions with the highest Tier 1 capital, a key measure of a bank's financial strength. Tier 1 capital, comprising core capital including equity and disclosed reserves, is a crucial indicator of a bank's ability to absorb potential losses. JPMorgan Chase's Tier 1 capital surpassed 275 billion U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024, cementing its position as the most well-capitalized bank in the United States. Additionally, the banking giant boasted the highest Tier 1 capital ratio among its American peers, further underscoring its robust financial health. What is the Tier 1 capital ratio? The Tier 1 capital ratio is a critical metric for assessing a bank's resilience to financial stress. It's calculated by dividing a bank's core capital by its total risk-weighted assets, with regulatory requirements mandating a minimum ratio of six percent. As of 2023, the largest U.S. banks significantly exceeded this threshold. JPMorgan Chase led with a ratio of 16.8 percent, closely followed by Citibank at 15.31 percent, while Bank of America maintained a strong position at 13.2 percent. These ratios demonstrate the robust capital positions of major American financial institutions, indicating their strong capacity to withstand potential economic downturns or financial shocks. The leading banks in the U.S. The U.S. banking sector is dominated by four major institutions, commonly known as "the big four": JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup. JPMorgan Chase stands out as the leader among these financial giants. It holds the top position across several key metrics, including market capitalization, total assets, investment banking revenue, and net income. This comprehensive leadership underscores JPMorgan Chase's dominant role in the American financial landscape and its significant influence on the global banking industry.

As of the second quarter of 2024, JPMorgan Chase had the highest risk-weighted assets (RWA) among the 15 largest banks in the United States, totaling approximately 1.7 trillion U.S. dollars. Risk-weighted assets are used to calculate important capital ratios, such as the common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio, which is determined by dividing a bank's tier 1 capital by its total risk-weighted assets. TD Bank, which had the highest CET1 capital ratio in the U.S. during the same period, reported risk-weighted assets of 223.12 billion U.S. dollars.

As of September 2019, the Panamanian bank Banco General reported assets amounting to 17 billion U.S. dollars, making it the Central American bank with highest assets value that year. The Guatemalan Banco Industrial ranked second, with total assets of 12.12 billion dollars.