GS
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Financial Services · Capital Markets · United States · Stock
Score Breakdown
Scored for Dividend Income profile
Sub-scores are 0–20 each; Model Score is weighted by your selected investment goal. How it works →
Why Ranked Here
- The composite score of 54.0 reflects a balanced but imperfect profile: three sub-scores above 13 (profitability, financial health, dividend) pull the score into mid-range territory rather than low-score territory.
- The low momentum sub-score of 7.0 and zero theme score structurally cap the total, preventing the model from scoring GS in the 65-plus range despite its financial strength.
- The growth sub-score of 11.0 reflects only moderate year-over-year expansion in revenue and earnings as captured in the 10-K, consistent with an investment bank navigating a transitional market environment rather than a high-growth phase.
Why Not Higher
- The theme sub-score of 0.0 is a hard ceiling contributor — because no qualifying macro thematic exposures were mapped from the EDGAR filing under model v2, approximately 20 potential points were unavailable to GS regardless of its financial quality.
- The momentum sub-score of 7.0 reflects insufficient sequential improvement in quarterly financial metrics within the filing, meaning the model could not reward GS for accelerating near-term operational performance, which is a key differentiator between mid-range and high-scoring candidates.
Data Confidence
10 / 10
Very High — full data coverage
Research Summary
AI-generated analysis reflects data and conditions as of the report date shown above. Verify any specific figures through primary sources before acting on this analysis.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is one of the world's leading global investment banking, securities, and investment management firms, serving corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals across capital markets, asset management, consumer banking, and advisory services. The model assigned GS a composite score of 54.0/100 based on SEC EDGAR 10-K filings for FY 2025, reflecting a firm that demonstrates meaningful profitability and financial health — scoring 14.4 and 14.0 respectively — alongside a solid dividend sub-score of 13.8, which is notably strong for a capital-markets-oriented institution. However, the growth sub-score of 11.0 and a momentum sub-score of only 7.0 signal that near-term revenue and earnings trajectory, as measured through quarterly sequential improvement in filings data, has been uneven, tempering the overall score. The theme sub-score of 0.0 is a mechanical output indicating that no qualifying macro thematic exposures were mapped from the filing data, which structurally limits the total score ceiling under the current model version. The key research tradeoff for GS is between a well-established, profitable institution with a credible dividend track record and the cyclical, leverage-sensitive nature of investment banking revenues that introduces earnings volatility and constrains consistent growth scoring.
Plain English
Goldman Sachs is a major Wall Street bank that helps big companies raise money, trade securities, and manage investments around the world. The model score of 54.0 out of 100 means it sits in a middle range — strong on profitability and dividends, but with weaker marks on recent growth momentum. The Medium risk rating reflects that Goldman's earnings can swing significantly depending on market activity and deal volumes, which creates uncertainty even for an otherwise financially healthy firm. Researchers treating it as a dividend income candidate will find the most relevant case here, though the cyclical business model means results are not always predictable.
Bull Case vs. Bear Case
Bull Case
- The profitability sub-score of 14.4 out of 20 reflects robust net margins and strong return-on-equity metrics sourced from the 10-K, consistent with Goldman's long-standing ability to generate earnings across its capital markets and asset management franchises.
- The dividend sub-score of 13.8 out of 20 — the highest individual contributor to the best-fit profile score of 63.4 for dividend income — indicates a credible free-cash-flow coverage ratio, a consistent dividend per share streak, and measurable DPS growth CAGR as reported in EDGAR filings.
- The financial health sub-score of 14.0 out of 20 points to a well-capitalized balance sheet with leverage metrics and interest coverage ratios that reflect GS's disciplined capital management as documented in its regulatory 10-K disclosures.
Bear Case
- The growth sub-score of 11.0 out of 20 suggests that year-over-year revenue, net income, and EPS growth trends extracted from the 10-K filing have been modest, which is consistent with the headwinds investment banking businesses face when deal activity or trading volumes compress.
- The momentum sub-score of 7.0 out of 20 — the second-lowest sub-score — indicates that sequential quarterly improvement in revenues, earnings, and margins within the filing period has been weak, raising questions about near-term earnings acceleration.
- The theme sub-score of 0.0 means that no macro thematic tailwinds were identified in the filing data under the current model framework, which limits GS's appeal for researchers seeking exposure to structural growth trends such as AI infrastructure, clean energy, or healthcare innovation.
What Could Change the Picture
Bullish Triggers
- A meaningful improvement in the growth sub-score — driven by stronger year-over-year revenue and net income growth in a future filing, potentially from a sustained recovery in investment banking deal volumes and IPO activity — would shift the composite score higher.
- An increase in the momentum sub-score reflecting consistent sequential quarterly improvement in revenues and margins across the fiscal year would signal operational acceleration and strengthen the research case for GS as more than a purely income-oriented candidate.
Bearish Triggers
- A deterioration in the financial health sub-score — such as a rise in leverage ratios or weakening interest coverage as reported in future 10-K filings — would raise concerns about balance sheet resilience in a stress scenario and could lower the composite score materially.
- A decline in the dividend sub-score, particularly in FCF coverage or DPS growth consistency as documented in SEC filings, would undermine the primary basis for GS's best-fit profile as a dividend income research candidate and reduce its standing under the current model.
Red Flags
- The momentum sub-score of 7.0 out of 20 is notably low for a firm of Goldman's scale, suggesting that within the FY 2025 filing period, sequential earnings and revenue improvement was not consistently present, which could reflect cyclical pressure on its core investment banking and trading revenues.
Risk Profile
Medium RiskThe Medium risk rating for Goldman Sachs reflects the inherent cyclicality of capital markets revenues — trading, underwriting, and advisory fees can swing significantly across economic cycles — combined with significant balance sheet leverage that is characteristic of major investment banks and visible in the 10-K financial health metrics.
Key Catalysts to Watch
Key factors to watch include future 10-K filings that show improving sequential momentum in investment banking revenues and trading results, as well as any changes to dividend per share or free cash flow coverage ratios that would affect the dividend sub-score central to GS's current research positioning.
This report is for educational and research purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice — always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.