Goldman Sachs

GS-N

It is a bank that went through a lot of headline risk. It is transitioning. The CEO is turning things around, trying to turn it into a commercial bank. It is a good opportunity to pick up a good company with a great reputation that will probably be around for the long haul.

Doesn't own. Trading at cheap levels. Great investment banking, but part of the issues is that their fixed income and commodity business has been very capital intensive. The wealth management business has done very well but has had a lot more competition. They are trying to move to the retail business by opening their digital bank, that has grown nicely but hasn't offset the growth in the wealth management business. Trades below book value, very cheap price to PE.

(A Top Pick May 31/18, Down 13%) He'd build on it with the drop. Banks have not performed well this year. Caught up in one lawsuit, which is about 3 months profit for the bank. Their digital bank is growing rapidly. Technologically savvy. Well capitalized. Trading at tangible book value, a good time to buy. New CEO shaking things up.

The PEG ratio is about 1, suggesting a good company with decent valuation. The PE is about 10. It trades about 1 times book value right now. But they just don't have the same powerful levers as they did years ago. The technicals do not look exciting to enter either. (Analysts’ price target is $230.00)

The premier investment bank in the world. They've never had to dilute shares. They have less competition now, though encountered trouble in Malaysia and will likely pay a hefty penalty of $6-7 billion. They can absorb this. Valuation is cheap and should continue to thrive.

He owned this many years ago. GS is trying to keep up with the rapdily changing landscape of capital markets. It's partially succeeded, but GS is mired in a fraud issue in Malaysia. He owns and prefers Morgan Stanley.

Financials is a big scratching head at the moment. This particular bank is not faced with the pressures of the retail banking in general. Used to be an investment bank leveraged 30 to 1. Everything that it used to do to eke out high torque on their profitability seems to be muted a little bit and without the leverage that they used to have. He has been bullish in financials prematurely. Trading below book value. Jury is out on this one.

(A Top Pick Apr 09/18, Down 23%) Yield curve inversion has put banks out of favour. Malaysia scandal is weighing on the stock. World's best investment bank, at a single digit multiple, looks compelling.

It has had trouble getting out of its own way in terms of where it has come from. The brand has been tarnished since 2008. It trades at about 90% of book value. It still represents a premier house in which to do M&A and he thinks 2019 will be a strong M&A environment. They have strengthened their abilities in the wealth management area.

Their is some concern that interest rates may rise, which could slow them down. They have a bit of a tainted image -- making money on the backs of their clients. A profitable company, but not one they have wanted to own.

Good growth. Loan losses are very conservative. GS will probably do M&A in this late cycle. Expects good performance here. (Analysts’ price target is $230.46)

Well-run with earnings in the last report very good. Fine revenue growth as was investment banking. Fixed income fine. The Indonesian lawsuit is a concern, though. Trades at 10x earnings and slightly above book value. He loves it.

(A Top Pick Feb 06/18, Down 21%) They had stellar numbers in 2018 like 11% revenue growth and bought back 2% of its stock.. But they're by this Malaysian scandal, sued by their government by a huge amount and create a crisis of confidence--buy this will pass. GS recovered a bit in Q4. But he doesn't understand why this is trading at tangible book value. A wonderful franchise.

US banks didn't do well last year. First 3 quarters showed strength in global markets. Negative performance in client engagement. Corporate business OK. If you own 3 banks, sell 1 and diversify.

Price to book ratio play. Classically you buy it below book and sell it at 1.5-1.8X. Currently 0.86X price to book looks really tempting. They are not as susceptible to net interest margin, to the credit, to a number of factors that are going to hit banks. Much more focused business line, great wealth management, great asset management, great trading capital market and investment banking. But at the end of the day we are at the end of the cycle and now may not be the time to buy this.