Yahoo Finance·2026-01-15 17:21Core Insights - Wall Street's two major investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, reported significant profit increases in the fourth quarter, with Goldman Sachs earning $4.62 billion (up 12%) and Morgan Stanley earning $4.4 billion (up from $3.71 billion) [1][4] Group 1: Financial Performance - Goldman Sachs reported a net earnings increase of 12% year-over-year, translating to a profit of $4.62 billion or $14.01 per share [1] - Morgan Stanley's earnings rose to $4.4 billion or $2.68 per share, compared to $3.71 billion or $2.22 per share a year earlier [1] - Investment fee revenues at Goldman Sachs increased by 25% year-over-year, while Morgan Stanley saw a 22% increase in its investment banking revenue [3] Group 2: Market Conditions - The Trump administration's deregulatory policies have positively impacted Wall Street, encouraging corporations to pursue mergers and acquisitions [2] - There has been a surge in investor interest in artificial intelligence companies and those benefiting from technologies like ChatGPT [2] Group 3: Investment Banking Activity - Both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reported a significant increase in their investment fee backlog, indicating a robust pipeline of pending deals [3] - Goldman Sachs agreed to sell its Apple Card credit card portfolio to JPMorgan Chase, marking its exit from consumer banking [5]