Wall Street Roundup: Banks bouncing back -- thanks in part to derivatives

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Gold: Trading now at $1,397 per ounce, up 0.8% from Friday.

Dow Jones industrial average: Trading now at 11,437.42, up 0.2% from Friday.

Banks bouncing back. The six big banks aided by the bailout are set to close out the year in style and post the second-most profitable year ever, after last year.

Thanks in part to derivatives. A New York Times investigation laid out how a handful of banks are working with derivatives exchanges to protect their own profits.

And smart leaders. The leaders of two of the biggest banks, Citi and Bank of America, looked like chastened success stories in profiles published over the weekend.

Leading to a credit boom. Banks appear to be slowly giving credit again to customers with bad credit.

But also bonus anger. Americans are overwhelmingly in support of banning big bonuses at bailed-out banks -- and taxing bank profits, according to a new poll. And in a surprising twist, more Republicans (76%) support the ban than Democrats.

-- Nathaniel Popper