Goldman Sachs beats Q1 estimates with record banking, markets results

(Sharecast News) - First-quarter profits at Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs surged 19% as the US blue chip posted record numbers across its core banking and markets division, though shares dropped in pre-market trading.

Net earnings totalled $5.63bn, up from $4.74bn the year before, while diluted earnings per share improved 24% year-on-year to $17.55, comfortably ahead of the $16.47 expected by the market.

Group revenues jumped 14% to $17.23bn, beating the $16.95bn expected by analysts.

This was the second-best quarterly result on record for Goldman, in terms of headline figures for the top and bottom lines.

"Goldman Sachs delivered very strong performance for our shareholders this quarter, even as market conditions became more volatile," said chair and chief executive David Solomon.

"Our clients continue to depend on us for high quality execution and insights amid the broader uncertainty, and we remain confident in how we've positioned our businesses. The geopolitical landscape remains very complex - so disciplined risk management must remain core to how we operate."

Banking and markets revenues were 19% higher than the year before at $12.74bn, helped by a 48% surge in investment banking fees to $2.84bn and a 27% jump in equities revenues to $5.33bn.

Goldman's other arm, asset and wealth management, saw revenues rise 10% to $4.08bn.

Despite beating anaylsts' estimates, Goldman stock futures were firmly lower on Monday, trading down 4.7% at $865 by 1332 BST with just under an hour to go before the opening bell. The stock, however, has climbed by 80% over the past 12 months alone.