Exclusive: Morgan Stanley to award 20% bonuses to top performers – Reuters

Exclusive: Morgan Stanley to award 20% bonuses to top performers – Reuters

SYDNEY/HONG KONG/NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) will raise its annual bonus for top-performing staff on Thursday by more than 20%, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, with a dealmaking boom set to usher in bumper payouts by banks this year.

Bankers in equity underwriting and M&A advisory businesses are expected to receive some of the highest increases at the Wall Street firm due to the strong performances of those divisions over the past year, said two of the sources.

Investment banks globally adjust their bonus pools according to business momentum. Higher bonuses help them to retain talent in a cut-throat competitive business environment.