Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase's chief executive, yesterday abandoned his trademark caution and hailed significant improvements in the health of long-suffering US consumers as the harbinger of a strong economic recovery.
Mr Dimon's bullish tone, which was underpinned by JPMorgan's strong first-quarter results, is a sign of Wall Street's improving mood over the US economy's rebound from the recession caused by the financial crisis.
“There have been clear and broad-based improvements in underlying [economic] trends,” Mr Dimon told investors. “We believe these improvements will continue and are hopeful they will gain momentum, resulting in a strong recovery”.