Goldman Sachs' third-quarter profit beat estimates, fueled by a rebound in bond sales, stock offerings and mergers, sending its shares up more than 3% on Tuesday. It joined JPMorgan Chase, which also gained from an investment banking revival,

Bank of America separately reported its latest earnings on Tuesday, and in keeping with theme it beat analyst forecasts. Although its profit in the third quarter fell more than 10 percent from the same period last year, the decline was not as steep as expected, bolstered by a jump in trading revenue and investment-banking fees.

It joined JPMorgan Chase, which also gained from an investment banking revival, as corporate clients became more confident in the economic outlook, spurring debt and equity offerings. "Our performance demonstrates the strength of our world-class franchise in an improving operating environment,