Investment Bank Results at a Glance

Investment Bank / S&P500 Charts
http://realtimecharts.blogspot.com/2007/09/investment-bank-chart.html

NEW YORK (AP) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world's biggest investment bank, reported on Thursday the third-best profit in the securities firm's 138-year history. Three of its rivals -- Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos. -- didn't fare as well during a fiscal third quarter rocked by credit- and mortgage-related turbulence.

The following is a scorecard of how they did:

_ Goldman Sachs: Goldman said profit spiked 79 percent to $2.85 billion, trouncing Wall Street expectations. It booked about $1.5 billion in loan losses in the quarter, though it offset losses with the $900 million sale of holdings in a power company.

_ Morgan Stanley: The nation's No. 2 investment bank reported profit fell 17 percent to $1.54 billion. Loan markdowns in the quarter cost it $940 million. It also had $480 million in losses from computer-driven trading strategies.

_ Lehman Brothers: The No. 4 investment bank reported profit decreased a smaller-than-expected 3.2 percent to $887 million. It marked down $700 million on assets that lost value.

_ Bear Stearns: The No. 5 investment bank reported profit plunged 62 percent to $166.1 million. Revenue in the fixed income business, Bear's biggest, plunged 88 percent. It also racked up $200 million from hedge fund losses, and wrote down $700 million for loans.

Merrill Lynch & Co., the third-largest U.S. investment bank, will report results next month.