NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley Thursday reported higher earnings for the latest quarter, topping forecasts on Wall Street, as the investment banks benefited from strength in the stock and bond markets.
New York-based Morgan Stanley said its fourth-quarter net income rose to $1.04 billion, or 94 cents a diluted share, from $732 million, or 67 cents a share, a year earlier. Wall Street analysts had forecast profits of 90 cents a share, according to earnings tracker First call.
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Meanwhile, Goldman, which is losing its president, John Thain, who will become chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, said fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled to $971 million, or $1.89 a diluted share, from $505 million, or 98 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts had been expecting $1.54 a share.
But shares of both Goldman and Morgan Stanley fell in before-hours trading on Instinet. Shares of Goldman traded at $96.50, down from Wednesday's close of $98.35 on the New York Stock Exchange, while Morgan Stanley fell to $55.98 from $57.63 on the NYSE on Wednesday.
Goldman said revenues from trading and principal investments rose 48 percent to $2.62 billion.
Revenue for trading bonds, currencies and commodities, Goldman's dominant revenue source in recent years, rose 36 percent to $1.14 billion, led by mortgages and credit products as well as commodities, Goldman said.
Goldman's head of fixed income and commodities, Lloyd Blankfein, was promoted to president and chief operating officer, filling the position being vacated by Thain who officially becomes the NYSE new chief executive on Jan. 15.
Morgan Stanley also said revenues were driven by fixed income sales and trading.
Revenue rose 20 percent to $5.1 billion from a year earlier but fell 3 percent from the third quarter. Revenues from bonds jumped 66 percent while equity revenue rose 48 percent, the firm said.
-- Reuters contributed to this report
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