Record year, record bonuses

The final tally has been completed, and 2006 has entered the M&A record books. Market researcher Dealogic says global M&A volume for the year was $4.06 trillion, up 21% over the prior record of $3.3 trillion, which was established in 2000. Last year's volume was 36% higher than the $2.99 trillion logged in 2005, Dealogic says.
Bonuses this year will be huge, industry sources say. The pool is larger than ever, and the money will be distributed deeper into the organization. Managing directors at Goldman Sachs and other big banks could take home $20 million or more in bonsues, and that doesn't include profits from their shares that they own in their firms. Since investment banking firms outperformed the S&P, bankers with big stakes in their firms will see huge returns. And the consenus is that 2007 will be another strong year.