LLOYD BLANKFEIN

Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold $5 billion of stock to help fulfill what it called its duty to repay a federal bailout, but the government fears a quick return of the funds would put other banks in a bad light.

The chief executive of Goldman Sachs called on Tuesday for reforms to executive pay and a broadening of financial regulation in a contrite speech that was twice interrupted by protesters.

The chief executive of Goldman Sachs said on Tuesday the economic crisis had been deeply humbling for financial firms, and banks receiving taxpayer bailout money need to pay back the funds as soon as possible.

U.S. banks that received billions of dollars of taxpayer money to bolster their capital could place bets on the same toxic assets that got them into trouble in the first place -- and with government support.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc last year paid a combined $58 million to Co-President Jon Winkelried and General Counsel Gregory Palm, buying out two top executives suffering from a severe cash crunch.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein's compensation fell 98.4 percent in 2008, as banks faced huge writedowns and losses due to investments in toxic assets.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is prepared to pay back the U.S. government's $10 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program investment as soon as allowed by regulators, but some hurdles remain, a person familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Prominent executives have stepped away from attendance at the World Economic Forum 2009 in Davos, Switzerland which kicks off Wednesday, citing illness, the need to deal with pressing matters, or just avoiding the spotlight under tough economic circumstances.

Merrill Lynch & Co. will give its new global sales and trading executive Thomas Montag a 2008 bonus of $39.4 million, according to a regulatory filing.

Recovery for the worldwide credit crunch and recovery in the securities market may not begin until next year, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Chief

Treasuries fell on Thursdays as stronger earnings sent investors looking for riskier stocks, weakening demand for relatively safe, but low yielding government debt.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said on Thursday that the global credit crisis is in its latter stages probably approaching an end.

Wall Street rose for the first time in three days on Thursday as investors bought back into stocks after two days of losses, after reports showed a drop in unemployment claims and a better-than-expected sales performance by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Tuesday fourth-quarter earnings rose 2 percent, beating expectations and capping a record year, but its shares fell after the investment bank cautioned that markets will remain challenging in the near future.

A new Goldman Sachs Group stock hedge fund could be launched with ore than $6 billion, with some investors expecting the fund to attract as much $10 billion, people familiar with the fund said. Goldman has been raising money and preparing to launch its latest fund for the past few months.

At Goldman Sachs Group, success has become something of a liability.

Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs has been named as the most powerful businessman by Fortune magazine in a list which also features Lakshmi Mittal, Indra Nooyi and Ratan Tata.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the financial experts at Goldman Sachs -- who earned a Wall Street record profit of $9.34 billion in 2006-- are setting up a charity fund which they expect to grow to more than $1 billion within the next few years.

Bank of America Corp, the second-largest U.S. bank, said on Tuesday it expects to write down $3 billion of debt in the fourth quarter as fallout from the nation's housing slump deepens.

Two Wall Street investment banks had dramatically different success in weathering summer market turbulence as results at Goldman Sachs Group Inc easily exceeded expectations, while those at Bear Stearns Cos Inc fell far short.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. shares fell on Tuesday after Chief Executive Henry Paulson said he was leaving to become the U.S. treasury secretary, but investors say his heir apparent, Lloyd Blankfein, could continue the bank's winning ways.