The global bank reported solid second-quarter results as executives maintain confidence in the bank's ability to achieve a return on tangible common equity of 10-11% next year. But an analyst said Citi's progress on reducing expenses will hinge on its ability to get freed from various enforcement actions.

CEO Robin Vince refused to comment on "rumors or speculation" about a potential merger between the custody banking giant and its smaller rival, Northern Trust. He also said that the bar for BNY to engage in M&A is "very high."

House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill  promised to begin combing through Dodd-Frank to find areas for deregulation, while the panel's ranking member made it clear that Democrats would fight for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Gain on sale at JPMorgan Chase fell by 5 basis points in the second quarter, which could be a slightly adverse sign for mortgage banker results, KBW said.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis said the consumer price index rose to 0.3% in June to an annualized rate of 2.7%, making the case to cut interest rates more difficult for the Federal Reserve to justify at its next meeting later this month.