As Wall Street draws the curtain on a tumultuous quarter in which stocks logged a record high before tumbling into correction, investors are faced with a mountain of policy uncertainty that clouds the outlook for coming quarters.

The average annual payout jumped 31% to $244,700.

That is up 34% from last year’s bonus pool of $35.4 billion and the highest number since records began in 1987.

Wall Street banker bonuses rose 31.5% to an average $244,700 last year as dealmaking rebounded, but the boom times may wane as economic uncertainty rises, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said on Wednesday.

The bonus pool for New York City's securities employees hit a record $47.5B in 2024, up 34% Y/Y, marking its first major increase since COVID-19 pandemic highs, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said on Wednesday in the office's annual estimate.

Wall Street bonuses surged in 2024, averaging a record-breaking $244,700, according to new state estimates. That’s 31.5% higher than in 2023, according to state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. It’s part of an estimated pool of $47.

The S&P 500 index dropped 2 percent as investors weighed hotter-than-expected inflation data and braced for President Trump’s next round of tariffs.