After every quarter, we seem to ask: How long can the good times last? There was a sense earlier this year that the time was ripe for moderation. But here we are at the end of 2006 and the prospects for the top investment banks seem even rosier. Punk Ziegel analyst Dick Bove raised his ratings and boosted his earnings estimates for the big names: Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and the like. Like others, he is not oblivious to all the financial sponsor deal making going on. In addition, the stock market has rallied, holding out the hope for more offerings. The debt market is also humming. So the good times are rolling right along.

For more on this:
- Here's a brief from TheStreet.com