Jan 15 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs' ( GS ) profit rose in the fourth quarter, fueled by dealmaking, stronger trading revenues in a turbulent market and a one-time gain from exiting its credit card partnership with Apple.

The bank's equity traders capitalized on volatility and a broader rally in the U.S. market as investors speculated on the Federal Reserve's interest-rate path and the prospects for AI companies. 

Goldman's equity revenue rose to a record $4.31 billion, up from $3.45 billion ‌a year ago, while trading revenue for fixed income, currencies, and commodities climbed 12.5% to $3.11 billion.

The bank struck a deal with JPMorgan Chase to take over its Apple ​card partnership. Goldman expected a 46 cent per share increase in its results due to the exit.

Its profit attributable ‍to common shareholders rose to $4.38 billion in the fourth quarter, or $14.01 per share, compared with $3.92 ⁠billion, or $11.95 per share, a ⁠year earlier.

The investment bank increased its quarterly dividend to $4.50 per share in the first quarter, underscoring its expectations for a strong year.

"The dividend increase is a powerful ‌testament to management's faith in sustainably higher earnings from the franchise," ​said Stephen Biggar, a banking analyst at Argus Research.

STRONG M&A MARKET

A friendlier regulatory environment under President Trump, lower interest rates and excess cash have led companies to pursue more deals.

Goldman's fees from investment banking ⁠rose 25% to $2.58 billion versus a year ago.

The investment bank ‍advised on some ​large mergers in 2025, including the $56.5 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts and Alphabet's $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz.

These outsized deals helped it secure the top spot once again for global M&A in 2025, ‍with the bank advising on $1.48 trillion in total volume of deals and raking in $4.6 billion in fees.

Top dealmakers expect the rally in mergers - which climbed near record levels in 2025 - to continue this year as large AI investments fuel more tech deals. 

Global M&A volumes swelled to $5.1 trillion in 2025, up 42% from 2024, according to Dealogic data.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT BUSINESS BOOMS

Goldman also raked in its highest-ever revenue from management fees in a given quarter, at $3.09 billion. The bank has focused on the business to gain ​more stable income ‍versus volatile trading and investment banking.

Goldman had last month decided to acquire Innovator Capital Management, an active exchange-traded fund provider, in a $2 billion deal. 

The bank's assets under supervision grew to $3.61 trillion, from $3.14 trillion a year ago.

BIG ​IPOs ANTICIPATED

The IPO market rebounded in recent months despite turbulence from a government shutdown over the fall that delayed some listings. 

Advisors such as Goldman will compete for a flurry of U.S. listings expected in 2026, with the likes of SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic gearing up for potential IPOs.

Shares of the Wall Street giant have risen more than 50% in 2025.

Goldman was a lead underwriter in medical supply giant Medline's IPO in the quarter, which was the largest listing globally in 2025. 

UNWINDING CONSUMER BUSINESS

Shedding the Apple card is Goldman's latest big step away from its ​ill-fated consumer business. The exit comes as other lenders are expressing concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10%.

Goldman's earnings also got a lift from the release of $2.48 billion from its stockpiles to cover loan losses from the card. Morningstar estimated the bank would ‍gain $145 million from the transaction.  

(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru and Saeed Azhar in New York; Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Arun Koyyur)