EconomyAnalysis2 days ago

Wall Street bonuses expected to rise this year, pay consultant Johnson Associates says

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Wall Street bonuses are expected to rise this year, according to an annual report from pay consultancy Johnson Associates, which points to strong business performance and a busy year for IPOs and AI financings. Its managing director, Alan Johnson, said this year is even better than last. The New York Post reports that bonus pools at 15 major US and foreign banks will rise about 15% on average, with the hottest trading desks seeing increases of 20% to 30%. Semafor reports that the AI trade is starting to sour and interest rates are rising, and that pay consultants warn the best of the bonus cycle may be behind them.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

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The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Wall Street bonuses are expected to rise this year, according to pay consultancy Johnson Associates.
Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
Bloomberg
Center
Semafor
Right
New York Post
Strong business performance and a busy year for markets and IPOs are cited as drivers of higher bonuses.
Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
Bloomberg
Center
Semafor
Right
New York Post
Bonus pools at 15 major US and foreign banks are expected to rise about 15% on average, according to Johnson Associates.
One outletNew York Post· Right
The hottest trading desks are expected to see bonus increases of 20% to 30%.
One outletNew York Post· Right
Bloomberg reports that competition from frontier AI firms is pushing up pay for elite quant and tech talent.
One outletBloomberg· Left
Semafor reports that the AI trade is souring and interest rates are rising, which pay consultants warn may mean the best of the bonus cycle is behind.
One outletSemafor· Center

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that Wall Street bonuses are expected to rise this year, citing a Johnson Associates report. The left and right coverage focus on the size of the increases and who gains most, while the center coverage focuses on risks that this may be the peak.

the left
1 outlet
Bloomberg’s headline gives a 30% rise for some bonuses as an expectation, and its description frames bigger rewards as driven by strong business performance and AI-driven efficiencies.
Wall Street Bonuses Expected to Rise by 30% For Some
BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
1 outlet
Semafor’s headline presents growth in bonuses as following a banner year for IPOs and AI, while its description and text stress warnings that this may be the peak.
Wall Street bonuses set to grow after banner year for IPOs and AI
SemaforCenterAll center headlines
the right
1 outlet
The Post’s headline leads with a record payday and bonus hikes up to 30%, quoting a ‘Year of the bank’ label, and its text describes the biggest winners as stock traders and share-selling bankers.
Top bankers set to score Sensational language“record payday”“Payday” is a colloquial word that dramatizes the bonuses, while “record bonuses” states the same thing neutrally.More neutral: record bonusesDisagree with this highlight? with bonus hikes up to 30%: ‘Year of the bank’
New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Center0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Right3
massivejuicy paychecksrecord payday

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
massiveMore neutral: large
The word adds emphasis beyond the 20% to 30% figures it describes.
…fattest bonus haul in history, with the hottest trading desks expected to rake in massive 20% to 30% spikes in performance-related pay, according to a new report.
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
juicy paychecksMore neutral: large paychecks
The phrase adds a tone of indulgence that the expected figures do not need.
It’s not just the busiest desks that are poised to receive juicy paychecks.
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
record paydayMore neutral: record bonuses
“Payday” is a colloquial word that dramatizes the bonuses, while “record bonuses” states the same thing neutrally.
Top bankers set to score record payday with bonus hikes up to 30%: ‘Year of the bank’
Used byNew York Post (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

top performers and AI-driven efficiencies
competition from AI firms for quant and tech talent
strong business performance

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

BloombergLeft
Wall Street Bonuses Expected to Rise by 30% For Some
Wall Street bonuses are expected to rise this year. Johnson Associates’ Chris Connors joins Bloomberg Open Interest to explain why strong business performance and AI-driven efficiencies could mean bigger rewards for top performers and why competition from frontier AI firms is …
1 day agoRead at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

banner year for IPOs and AI
AI trade souring and rising interest rates
bonuses tilted toward the best performers

Leaves out

specific percentage increases in bonus pools
the record New York bonus pool total

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

SemaforCenter
Wall Street bonuses set to grow after banner year for IPOs and AI
Pay consultants warn the best of the bonus cycle may be behind them as the AI trade sours and rates climb.
1 day agoRead at Semafor (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

record bonus haul
biggest gains for stock traders and bankers
record $49.2 billion New York bonus pool

Leaves out

souring AI trade and rising interest rates
warnings that this may be the peak of the cycle

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines

New York PostRight
Top bankers set to score Sensational language“record payday”“Payday” is a colloquial word that dramatizes the bonuses, while “record bonuses” states the same thing neutrally.More neutral: record bonusesDisagree with this highlight? with bonus hikes up to 30%: ‘Year of the bank’
Wall Street's whales are set to earn the fattest bonus haul in history, with the hottest trading desks expected to rake in massive 20% to 30% spikes in performance-related pay, according to a new report.
2 days agoRead at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
5 hr 40 min later
Its first report, Nov 10, 11:39 AM EST
Center
2 hr 7 min later
Its first report, Nov 10, 8:06 AM EST
Right
First to report
New York Post, Nov 10, 6:00 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

New York PostRightNov 10, 6:00 AM EST
SemaforCenterNov 10, 8:06 AM EST
BloombergLeftNov 10, 11:39 AM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Wall Street bonuses expected to rise this year, pay consultant Johnson Associates says

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Wall Street Bonuses Expected to Rise by 30% For Some

From the center

Wall Street bonuses set to grow after banner year for IPOs and AI

From the right

Top bankers set to score Sensational language“record payday”“Payday” is a colloquial word that dramatizes the bonuses, while “record bonuses” states the same thing neutrally.More neutral: record bonusesDisagree with this highlight? with bonus hikes up to 30%: ‘Year of the bank’

How the coverage built up

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