Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Goldman Sachs Stock Will Climb or Sink?

Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Goldman Sachs Stock Will Climb or Sink?

Kritika Sarmah

Wed, August 12, 2026 at 2:29 PM GMT+3 2 min read

• GS +0.51%
• ^GSPC +0.65%

New York-based The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) is a leading global financial institution that provides investment banking, securities, asset management, and wealth management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals. With a market cap of $301.2 billion, its business is built around three main platforms: Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions.

Goldman Sachs has continued to flex its strength in the financial sector, comfortably outpacing the broader market over the past year. GS has gained 43.8% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 19.9%. The momentum has carried into 2026 as well, with the stock up 17.7% year to date, ahead of the S&P 500's 12.9% advance.

More News from Barchart

GS has also left its sector peers behind, significantly outperforming the iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 7.6% over the past year and 4.8% in 2026.

On July 14, Goldman Sachs reported a standout second-quarter performance, sending its shares up 9% as investors cheered record revenue and a sharp jump in profitability. Net revenues surged 39.5% year over year to a record $20.34 billion, while net earnings jumped 78% to $6.63 billion. Diluted EPS soared 92.3% to $20.98 from $7.18 a year earlier, while annualized return on average common shareholders' equity reached 23.5%.

The strong showing was broad-based, with Global Banking & Markets leading the charge as clients ramped up M&A, capital raising and other strategic transactions. Stronger dealmaking activity, alongside robust trading and investment-banking performance, helped Goldman capitalize on a more active market environment and delivered one of its strongest quarters in recent years.

For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect GS' EPS to grow 34.2% to $68.89 on a diluted basis. The company's earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.

Among the 26 analysts covering GS stock, the consensus is a "Moderate Buy." That's based on nine "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and 15 "Holds," and one "Strong Sell."

This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with eight analysts suggesting a "Strong Buy."

On Aug. 3, 2026, UBS analyst Erika Najarian maintained a "Hold" rating on Goldman Sachs and raised her price target to $1,150 from $1,120, indicating a modestly higher valuation outlook while retaining a neutral stance on the stock.

The mean price target of $1,170.23 represents a 13.1% premium to GS' current price levels. The Street-high price target of $1,325 suggests an upside potential of 28.1%.

On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com