Goldman Saches Q4 2007

overall --NI: $3.22 bil, $7.01/s vs 6.6 est, +2% --Rev: 10.7 bil, +14% Credit Metrics FICC --rev: 3.3 bil, +6% --800 mil gain from Cogentrix Energy LLC, the Goldman subsidiary that sold 80 percent of itsstake in 14 power plants during the quarter. --Finance chief Viniar said the firm's so-called unfunded commitments to provide leveraged loans on takeovers fell to $27billion at the end of the fourth quarter from $42 billion at the end of the previous period. --During the three months ended Nov. 30, Goldman sold or canceled $16 billion of the loan commitments, funded $9 billionof the commitments and made $10 billion of new commitments, Viniar said on a conference call with journalists today. Equity --Equity trading revenue climbed 22 percent to $2.59 billion. Investment Banking --Investment-banking revenue rose 47 percent to $1.97 billion. --Financial advisory revenue, derived mainly fromcounseling clients on mergers and acquisitions, climbed 98percent to $1.24 billion. --Goldman, the No. 1 adviser in worldwide announced mergersand acquisitions for the seventh consecutive year, arranged$417.9 billion of takeovers completed during the fourth quarter,more than double a year earlier, according to data compiled byBloomberg. --The firm, which ranks second this year behind Zurich-basedUBS in managing global equity offerings, arranged $18 billion ofequity sales during the quarter, up from $16.7 billion a yearearlier, Bloomberg data show. Asset Managment --Revenue from asset management increased 25 percent to $1.17billon. The firm is starting three new hedge funds, expandingits so-called alternative investment offerings. Goldman's Global Alpha hedge fund may lose about $6 billion this year, or 60 percent of its assets, because of trades that went awry and client withdrawals, two investors who declined to be identified Market Comments: --Goldman is increasingly buying and selling companies orstakes in companies in addition to earning fees from advisingclients and arranging transactions. The firm booked $900million, before taxes, in the third quarter from the sale of awind-farm company and reaped $700 million in the second quarterof 2006 by selling a New Jersey power plant, Katzke said. --