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Goldman Sachs GS

Goldman Sachs scores average on business quality (5.3 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.

Last price$895.32Oct 9, 2026
Business qualityAverage
Next earningsOct 13, 2026, before the open
Insiders, 90 daysSelling

Why it matters

  1. What Goldman Sachs does

    Goldman Sachs makes money primarily through investment banking, trading, and asset management, charging corporations and institutions fees for dealmaking and market execution. The firm is navigating a shift in its revenue mix as it balances traditional advisory work with expanding wealth management operations.

  2. What it does best

    Goldman excels in institutional trading and deal advising, leveraging elite brand capital and deep corporate relationships. Its operating margin of 19.5% trails peer Morgan Stanley at 20.3%, but its deal pipeline remains a core driver of its competitive advantage.

  3. The main risk

    Rising net debt of $998 billion amplifies sensitivity to market volatility, threatening capital returns if advisory fees dry up during macro downturns.

Quality, check by check

Scored against its own industry, from company filings.

ProfitabilityWeak

Operating margin stands at 19.5% with an ROE of 16.9%. Profitability remains stable, though heavy capital investments weigh on cash generation as operations scale.

MoatWeak

Its brand locks in institutional clients and global enterprises. A sector percentile of 44 in operating margin reflects moderate pricing power that rivals can challenge.

GrowthSteady

Revenue contracted at a 1.4% rate, showing a slower pace compared to the prior expansion seen in historical annual summaries.

Financial healthStrong

With total debt at $1.16 trillion and negative free cash flow of $41.5B, the balance sheet relies on heavy cash reserves of $164B, getting softer.

Insiders

Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.

1 sold $1.1M outside pre-planned sales.

Our sealed record on GS

Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.

The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.

Questions

Is GS a good business?

Goldman Sachs scores average on the Cluenex quality check (5.3 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is weak, moat weak, growth steady and financial health strong.

Are insiders buying GS?

In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 1 sold $1.1M outside pre-planned sales.

When does GS report earnings?

Oct 13, 2026, before the open.

For members

See GS today

  • Today's verdict on GS, and why
  • Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
  • The exact price that would change the verdict
  • Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
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Cite this page: Cluenex, “Goldman Sachs (GS)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/gs/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.