Goldman to raise $5b, beats Street

Goldman Sachs Group Inc posted much higher-than-expected first-quarter profit as it took more trading risk, and said it plans a $5 billion common share sale to help pay back government funds.

The bank also said it lost $1 billion in December 2008, mainly due to trading and investment losses. That month was reported separately and for the first time on Monday as Goldman and Morgan Stanley have both changed their financial years to match calendar years.

Goldman also disclosed that it has set aside $168,901 per employee on average for compensation in the quarter, almost 35 percent more than in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. The figure is likely to raise eyebrows given concerns expressed by lawmakers and others about excessive compensation on Wall Street.