Citigroup has slashed its earnings outlook for Wall Street investment banks Goldman Sachs Group, Lehman Brothers Holdings and Morgan Stanley because of a tough operating environment, according to a report by Thomson Reuters.

The second quarter has seen lower client-related trading volumes, little banking activity, losses related to ineffective hedging and reversals of gains on fair valuing liabilities, [Citigroup analyst] Prashant Bhatia wrote in a note dated May 16.

Mirroring the stagflation of the early 1980s, consumer sentiment hit its lowest level since that time period this month as short-term inflation continues to ramp up.