Morgan Stanley (MS) shares fell nearly 3% on Wednesday, even after third-quarter revenue rose 12% to $20.3 billion from $18.2 billion a year earlier and beat forecasts. Goldman Sachs also beat estimates, yet it lost another 1.5%. CNBC host Jim Cramer blames worries about sticky inflation and climbing rates, not weak results. "It's not easy to own these bank stocks right now," he said. Institutional Securities revenue grew 18% to $10 billion, while fixed income fell 7%. Wealth management revenue rose 10%, and client assets reached a record $10.5 trillion. Cramer said a resolution to the war in Iran could cool inflation and give the Federal Reserve room to hold off on rate hikes.

All six major US bank stocks fell after third-quarter earnings, even as several banks posted strong results. CNBC's Jim Cramer said investors are worried about persistent inflation, rising interest rates, and shaky capital markets. Citigroup revenue grew 8%, its best third quarter in a decade, yet shares dropped 5.6%. Goldman Sachs beat estimates, with investment banking fees up 21%, but its stock finished lower. Bank of America missed expectations and faced a $1.2 billion regulatory penalty; shares fell roughly 5%. Cramer sees buying opportunities. His Charitable Trust upgraded Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs to buy-equivalent ratings.

Momei Qu, head of venture at PSP Growth, says Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are becoming artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. She told Bloomberg's The Close that banks are tied to the AI buildout through debt financing, potential initial public offerings (IPOs) and mergers, though earnings do not show it yet. Lending was a bright spot last quarter. JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo posted a record $56.5 billion in combined net interest income, and JPMorgan's $107 billion outlook, excluding markets, beat the $103 billion consensus. Qu said investors are split on AI valuations: one camp excuses thin margins and heavy spending, while the other wants proof of returns. Anthropic holds its pre-IPO investor day on Wednesday. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Herman Chan expects the Anthropic IPO to lift Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. He warned that slower AI spending could cut banks' fee revenue from data center bond deals.