Goldman Sachs cashes in on stock market turmoil as bank posts $4.7B profit

Financial Performance - Goldman Sachs reported net profits of $4.7 billion and revenues of $15.06 billion for the first quarter of 2025 [1] - The trading division generated revenues of $4.2 billion, reflecting a 27% increase from the same period last year [2] - Analysts had forecasted revenues of $14.8 billion, indicating that Goldman Sachs exceeded expectations [3] Market Context - The bank's strong performance occurred amidst stock market turmoil due to President Trump's tariff plans, which initially caused stock markets to decline [4] - The share price of Goldman Sachs closed at $494.44, with a notable increase of over 30% in the past year [4][8] Executive Compensation - CEO David Solomon received $39 million in compensation last year, while COO John Waldron was offered an $80 million five-year 'golden handcuffs' bonus to remain with the firm [7][8] - The bonuses are seen as a strategy to retain key executives amid speculation about Waldron's potential move to Apollo Global Management [7][8]