Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase kicked off banks earnings season with blowout results. Here's what it could mean for hiring across Wall Street.

A groundswell of activity in boardrooms and on trading floors is hyping up investors about the coming year for some of the biggest banks. But that isn’t the whole story for the Main Street banking sector.

Citigroup reported earnings of $1.34 per share for the fourth quarter, surpassing Wall Street estimates of $1.22. A year ago, the bank posted a loss of $1.16 a share. Shares rose 3.6% in premarket trading.

"I think for a lot of people, predicting the negative has been painful," Lazard's Ron Temple said.