Goldman Sachs COO Waldron says lower valuations in wealth management open M&A opportunities
2022.06.02 17:46
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FILE PHOTO: John Waldron, co-head of the Investment Banking Division, Goldman Sachs, speaks at the Milken Institute 21st Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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By Carolina Mandl and Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)’ President and Chief Operating Officer John Waldron said on Thursday the bank continues to look for acquisition opportunities in the wealth and asset management space, as it seeks to diversify its revenue stream.
“Valuations are making more sense, getting more interesting. That opens up opportunity for more things to look at,” he told a banking conference.
Still, the COO said the priority would be to bed down the recent acquisitions, and added that the bank is more cautious about capital expenditure given the current macro environment.
“I would say we have a lot to integrate and a lot to operate,” Waldron said, adding that part of his job is to make sure that “we integrate, and we execute on those acquisitions.”
The Wall Street bank is seeking to diversify its business to make it less vulnerable to capital markets cycles. As part of this strategy, the bank is expanding its asset and wealth management arms.
Waldron sounded a note of caution for the capital market activity, which he expects to be down a lot, saying the volumes are down 70% year-over-year. But he said the M&A activity has been more resilient.
