Morgan Stanley’s institutional securities group, which houses its investment banking and trading businesses, reported revenue of $7.3 billion in the fourth quarter, a 49% jump from $4.9 billion a year earlier.

Morgan Stanley's profit increased in the fourth quarter, fueled by a wave of dealmaking and stock sales that drove its revenue to a full-year record. Investment banking fees gained from a surge in mergers and acquisitions as sentiment was boosted by a strong U.

The bank's massive wealth management business will be helped by high stock market values in the fourth quarter, which inflates the management fees it collects.