WSJ.com - Young Bankers See End To 2-Year Reality Check

After two tough years, Mr. Baron's prospects, along with those of many other bankers on Wall Street, seem to be improving. The stock market is up, and the bond market is active. The gross domestic product grew at a 7.2% pace in the third quarter, helped by strong consumer spending. Executives, emboldened by the economy's gradual recovery, are looking for ways to expand their businesses again.

October represented the biggest month for U.S. mergers and acquisitions since July 2001, with nearly $80 billion of deals announced in the month's final week alone, according to Thomson Financial.