US banks are taking advantage of improving earnings and growing investor demand to raise billions of dollars in debt at historically low interest rates, a move that could boost the sector's profits in coming years.
The burst of fundraising in the US is in stark contrast to Europe where banks have struggled to issue debt as the eurozone crisis and worries about the financial industry have undermined market confidence.
The cheap finance locked in by big institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, US Bancorp, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in recent days marks a remarkable comeback for a sector that was shunned by investors during the financial crisis.