The U.S. financial sector kicked off the third-quarter earnings season on a high note as major players, includingJPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM),Wells Fargo Corp.(NYSE:WFC),Bank of New York Mellon Corp.(NYSE:BK), andBlackRock Inc.(NYSE:BLK), all beat analyst expectations for earnings per share (EPS).

These results mark a strong start for the financial industry. Shares of each bank responded positively, with notable gains across the board.

TheFinancial Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLF) rallied nearly 2% to fresh record highs, eyeing the strongest-performing day since November 2023.

Chart: XLF ETF Sets New...