Goldman Sachs’ Newest Stumble Provides Morgan Stanley the Lead

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Goldman Sachs has its David, however Morgan Stanley is Wall Road’s funding banking Goliath.

The shrinking economic system unsurprisingly made itself felt within the outcomes Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley launched Tuesday morning. However how the latter managed the downturn is the most recent proof that Goldman actually is the previous…king of funding banks.

Tough quarter, bro

Goldman’s fourth-quarter outcomes for 2022 have been the worst in additional than a decade, lacking badly on earnings estimates after income fell 70% in comparison with the identical interval in 2021, a decline that comes one week after CEO David Solomon laid off greater than 3,200 bankers. All in all, Tuesday’s outcomes mirrored Solomon’s now-abandoned journey towards making Goldman right into a shopper banking participant. You may practically forgive Morgan Stanley chief James Gorman’s schadenfreude smile.

Gorman, whose 12-year reign has been a campaign in opposition to Goldman’s dominance, additionally noticed his income fall for 2022’s ultimate quarter however managed to beat Wall Road’s estimates due to surprisingly robust performances from the financial institution’s wealth administration and buying and selling divisions, the sort of deck chair rearranging that was perfected by Goldman below Solomon’s predecessors.

• The market’s response to the dichotomous outcomes was unsubtle, with Goldman shares falling 6.4% on the day and Morgan shares surging 5.9%, widening Gorman’s market cap lead on Solomon
• Solomon is not in any place to counterpunch. Citing an unsure outlook for 2023, Goldman put aside $1 billion to buffer unexpected losses within the new yr, whereas Morgan put aside… much less: $87 million.

The second was not misplaced on the principle gamers. “Total, 2022 was a powerful yr for the Agency,” Gorman stated in an announcement accompanying the outcomes, whereas Solomon, pressed by an analyst on an earnings name, was comically understated: “The whole lot has not gone completely.”

It may well’t final without end: The 64-year-old Gorman stated final January that “I am not going to be right here in 5 years.” As for Solomon, who “celebrated” turning 61 on Tuesday, it is in all probability not going to be his name. Solomon has repeatedly rankled the Goldman rank and file throughout his 4 years on the helm, and his lack of recognition is mirrored within the identify bankers reportedly gave the recent layoffs: “David’s Demolition Day.”