(Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Group Inc reported a bigger-than-expected fall in quarterly profit on Wednesday as the Wall Street bank set aside more money to cover legal costs for the 1MDB corruption scandal, overshadowing a rebound in its trading business.
The bank set aside $1.09 billion in the fourth quarter ahead of an expected settlement that could touch $2 billion or more. Goldman’s full-year earnings took a hit of $3.16 per share from the provision.
The legal woes come at a time when Chief Executive Officer David Solomon is launching a major shift in strategy away from trading – long its main profit engine – to the construction of a bigger consumer business that shields it from wild swings on financial markets.
Earlier in January, Goldman reshuffled most of its major reporting lines and, for the first time, unveiled the size of its consumer business, responding to long-standing requests for more transparency from analysts and investors.
Last week, the bank unveiled the size of its consumer business for the first time. The unit, which includes the online retail bank, Marcus, as well as its credit card business, reported a 23% jump in revenue to $228 million during the fourth quarter.
Rivals JP Morgan Chase & Co, Citigroup and Bank of America boast of much larger consumer businesses.
“Overall, the provision missed and comp ratio was higher than expected, so results look weak this quarter excluding the equity investment gains,” said analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in a note to clients.
TRADING REBOUND
Despite a slump in profit, the bank posted robust revenue growth as three of its four main reporting lines performed strongly.
Revenue from global markets, which houses the trading business, jumped 33% to $3.48 billion, thanks partly to easier comparisons from a year earlier when financial markets were roiled by uncertainty related to trade and global growth.
Bond trading surged 63% to $1.77 billion.
The strong performance from trading mirrored similar trend at other major rivals – JPMorgan Chase , Citigroup and Bank of America .
The only sore spot for Goldman during the quarter was investment banking, where revenue fell 6% to $2.06 billion, hurt by lower M&A advisory fees, as well as a slowdown in corporate lending.
The bank’s net earnings applicable to common shareholders fell to $1.72 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31 from $2.32 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share fell to $4.69 from $6.04.
Analysts on average had expected earnings of $5.47 per share, according to the IBES estimate from Refinitiv.
Operating expenses jumped 42% to $7.3 billion.
Total net revenue, however, jumped 23% to $9.96 billion.
(Reporting by Anirban Sen in Bangalore and Elizabeth Dilts in New York; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
