The investment bank Goldman Sachs delivered a clear signal that the good times are returning on Wall Street by milking a recovery in financial markets to generate profits of $3.44bn (£2.12bn), raising the prospect of average pay packages of as much as $900,000 for its employees.
From the Guardian:
The investment bank Goldman Sachs delivered a clear signal that the good times are returning on Wall Street by milking a recovery in financial markets to generate profits of $3.44bn (£2.12bn), raising the prospect of average pay packages of as much as $900,000 for its employees.
Goldman’s second-quarter earnings, which amounted to $38m per day, were up 65% on 2008 and confirmed the US bank’s status as one of the stand-out winners from the credit crunch which paralysed the financial industry for much of last year.
The firm’s revenue of $13.76bn was the highest in its 140-year history. Its success on the trading floor is likely to translate into record bonuses, to the dismay of critics who view runaway compensation as a key factor contributing to the global economic meltdown.
Goldman’s chief financial officer, David Viniar, put the bank’s higher profits down to “basic blocking and tackling”. Speaking on a conference call, Viniar said Goldman had done “very well” in its core operation trading stocks, shares, debt and other financial products: “It was very widespread, day after day, client-facing business in very liquid markets and very liquid products.”
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