Bank investors bracing for bad news on 25 June got at least a dose of something positive: Regulators eased up restrictions on risk-taking put forth following the financial crisis of 2008-09.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and other regulators finalised an overhaul of the so-called Volcker rule, imposed under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. It was meant to prevent banks from engaging in some of the risky behaviour that contributed to the crisis, such as proprietary trading and making speculative, hedge fund-like investments.