Will Goldman's Strong Liquidity Aid Its Capital Distribution Strategy?

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS enjoys a strong balance sheet position. As of June 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $153 billion. As of the same date, total unsecured debt (comprising long-term and short-term borrowings) was $349 billion. Out of this, only $69 billion were near-term borrowings.

Moreover, the company maintains investment-grade long-term debt ratings of A/A2/BBB+, and a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, respectively. Thus, the company's decent cash levels and solid credit profile indicate that it will likely be able to continue to meet debt obligations even during economic slowdowns.

Given strong liquidity, Goldman’s capital distribution activities have been impressive over the years. Post-clearing the Federal Reserve's 2025 stress test, the company raised its dividend 33.3% to $4 per share. In the past five years, the company has raised its dividends five times, with an annualized dividend growth rate of 22.04%. It currently sits at a payout ratio of 26%.

The company also has a share repurchase plan in place. In the first quarter of 2025, the board approved a share repurchase program of up to $40 billion of common stock. In February 2023, it announced a share repurchase program, authorizing repurchases of up to $30 billion of common stock with no expiration date. At the end of the second quarter, Goldman had $40.6 billion worth of shares available under authorization.

How GS Competes With JPM & MS in Terms of Liquidity Position

JPMorgan JPM has a decent balance sheet position. As of June 30, 2025, JPM had a total debt of $485.1 billion (the majority of this is long-term in nature). The company's cash and due from banks and deposits with banks were $420.3 billion on the same date. Hence, JPM continues to reward shareholders handsomely. In March 2025, the company raised its quarterly dividend 12% to $1.40 per share. In the last five years, JPMorgan hiked dividends five times, with an annualized growth rate of 7.9%. JPMorgan also authorized a share repurchase program worth $50 billion (effective from July 1, 2025). 

Morgan Stanley MS had a long-term debt of $320.1 billion, with only $23.8 billion expected to mature over the next 12 months. The company’s average liquidity resources were $363.4 billion as of June 30, 2025. Given its solid liquidity position, Morgan Stanley rewards shareholders handsomely. Post clearing the 2025 Fed stress test, MS announced an 8% hike in the quarterly dividend to $1.00 per share and reauthorized a multi-year share repurchase program of up to $20 billion (no expiration date). Morgan Stanley has increased its dividend five times in the last five years, with an annualized growth rate of 22.8%.

Goldman’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Shares of GS have gained 26.8% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 22.2%. 

Price Performance

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From a valuation standpoint, Goldman trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.45X, above the industry’s average of 14.39X.

Price-to-Earnings F12M

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GS’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year increases of 12.6% and 14.9%, respectively. Likewise, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GS’s 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year rallies of 6.3% and 6.5%, respectively. The estimates for both years have been revised upward over the past 30 days.

Estimates Revision Trend

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Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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