New York, Feb 10, 2026, 12:02 EST — Regular session.
- Goldman Sachs shares picked up, bucking a broader decline in bank and financial-sector ETFs.
- CEO David Solomon points to sponsor demands for cash returns as a catalyst for dealmaking.
- Wednesday’s jobs numbers and Friday’s U.S. inflation figures are up next for rate-watchers.
Goldman Sachs climbed roughly 0.6% to $949.59 on Tuesday, moving within a $936.71 to $961.70 range as bets picked up on its dealmaking prospects. The stock’s gain stood out against a weaker financial sector: XLF slipped 0.2%, the KBE bank ETF dropped 0.4%. JPMorgan barely budged, while Morgan Stanley slid 2.7%.
Timing is crucial for Goldman, a firm that depends on fees tied to M&A and IPO activity. Investors are eager for a steadier deal pipeline, after years marked by abrupt starts and stops in the calendar.
Solomon’s remarks arrive as investors weigh the direction of borrowing costs and their impact on corporate sentiment. If rates move lower, companies may find it easier to raise money and tap markets for new deals. That can boost issuance, though it sometimes muddies the picture for banks relying on interest income.
Chief Executive David Solomon, speaking at UBS’s financial services conference in Florida, said private equity sponsors were getting close to a phase where activity is “accelerating,” with firms under pressure to return capital ahead of their next fundraising rounds. He expects strategic M&A will be “meaningfully higher” than what’s been seen in the last five years. Solomon highlighted Goldman’s role as a top global adviser in 2025, when it worked on $1.48 trillion in deals. JPMorgan’s Troy Rohrbaugh, who also took the stage, described the pipeline going into 2026 as “excellent” and noted there’s still a “robust IPO pipeline” even if SPACs — the blank-check vehicles that go public before acquiring a company — are out of the mix. 1
Goldman analysts, in a note released a day earlier, projected U.S. IPO proceeds might jump to $160 billion by 2026—four times current levels—with listings possibly hitting 120 if markets warm up. They cautioned, though, that those numbers could shift sharply with volatility, and flagged a deep pipeline of software deals as a potential risk for valuations if sentiment sours. 2
Goldman isn’t just sticking to the usual playbook—it’s pushing ahead in the more tailored parts of finance, too. Right now, Presidio Investment Holdings has tapped the bank to set up a debt facility worth as much as $1 billion. Executives say the arrangement will fuel acquisitions in the run-up to Presidio’s targeted market debut. The deal relies on an asset-backed securitization “warehousing” structure, where debt is held prior to bundling it into securities tied to future cash flows. 3
Investors eyed a heavy slate of U.S. data releases. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped 1 basis point to 4.184% early Tuesday. Futures markets were still signaling no Fed move before June, according to market pricing. 4
Still, the deal thesis isn’t bulletproof. If equities tumble or financing costs spike, the IPO window could slam shut fast—leaving sponsors stuck on the sidelines, regardless of any pressure to cash out.
Wednesday brings January’s Employment Situation data at 8:30 a.m. ET, with the January CPI following on Friday, also at 8:30 a.m. ET. A curveball in jobs or inflation numbers could shift rate bets in a hurry, and that’s still a key driver for underwriting, leveraged buyout activity, and M&A financing appetite. 5
The key issue for Goldman Sachs stock: will the buzz from the conference actually show up in fees on the books? Traders aren’t waiting around—they’re already locked on Feb. 11’s jobs numbers and the CPI print set for Feb. 13.
