Coming out of last year’s stress tests, several banks maintained beefed-up stress-capital buffers, which typically diverts money away from stock buybacks and dividends that bene

The stress test changes bolster the case made by Wall Street analysts that U.S. banks will face a friendlier regulatory regime under the Trump administration.

U.S. bank stocks such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) are marching higher on reports that the U.S. Federal Reserve is planning an easier stress test on financial institutions this year.