Sheer size doesn't guarantee future growth, though. Indeed, the bigger the organization gets, the more difficult it can be to find new ways to tack on even more size. For any company to be the basis for a life-changing investment, it must be able to firmly outpace the mere rising tide of inflation and population growth.

Now that the largest six U.S. banks have reported their fourth-quarter results, it is clear that investors are continuing to celebrate the group’s performance. And although the banks have varying business models,

Fresh off a record year for profit and revenue, JPMorgan is facing questions over what CFO Jeremy Barnum admitted was excess capital.