Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment bank based in New York, reported a significant increase in profits for the second quarter of 2024. The bank's net earnings jumped by 150% year over year to $3.04 billion, or $8.62 per share.
The surge in profits was driven by a resurgence of dealmaking and underwriting activity on Wall Street, which had been sluggish in the previous years. Investment banking fees rose by 21%, with debt underwriting fees seeing a particularly large increase due to the high demand for refinancing from companies facing higher interest rates.
Goldman Sachs' fixed income, currencies and commodities trading division also reported revenues up 17% from the previous year. The equities trading division saw net revenues rise by 7%, while the asset-management division posted a 26% increase in revenues due to higher fee income and the value of Goldman Sachs' own investments.
CEO David Solomon, who faced challenges last year due to a dealmaking slump, costly exit from consumer banking, and high-profile departures from the firm, expressed optimism about the continued recovery in capital markets and M&A activity.
Goldman Sachs' stock price rose by more than 2% on Monday and has climbed 28% year to date. The bank is not alone in experiencing a rebound; JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup have also reported strong earnings from their investment banking divisions.
Despite the positive news, Goldman Sachs is facing challenges from regulators regarding its results from the Federal Reserve's latest annual stress test. The firm plans to engage with regulators to better understand their determinations.