Goldman, Morgan Stanley Deny Plans For Frankfurt Office Switch After Brexit

U.S. investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have denied speculation they are poised to shift London-based staff and operations to Frankfurt as soon as Britain's divorce proceedings from the European Union formally begin.

"We have not made any changes to our real estate requirements in Frankfurt as a result of the referendum result," Goldman said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

"As we have already communicated to our employees, there is no immediate change to the way we conduct our business or where we conduct our business."

Echoing its Wall Street rival, Morgan Stanley also moved to quell chatter it was planning to relocate to the German financial hub when the U.K. government evokes Article 50 — the first official step in its disentanglement from the 28-nation bloc.

"Morgan Stanley does not have pre-let office space in Frankfurt," the spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein said the bank, a big donor to the defeated “remain” campaign, had planned for either referendum outcome for many months, in a statement issued after the outcome of the historic referendum became clear on Friday.

"Goldman Sachs has a long history of adapting to change, and we will work with relevant authorities as the terms of the exit become clear. Our primary focus, as always, remains serving our clients' needs."