Stocks in the news: Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors

Updated

Goldman Sachs (GS) reported a larger-than-expected quarterly profit of $1.8 billion after the close on Monday. The bank earned $3.39 a share, more than double the $1.64 average of 16 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. It also announced plans to sell $5 billion in stock to help repay its $10 billion government loan. GS shares, which have gained 4.7 percent on Monday, declined about 2 percent in pre-market trade.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) said its quarterly earnings fell, hurt by some generic competition and the strong dollar, but it still managed to beat expectations due to lower costs. The diversified health-care company earned $3.51 billion, or $1.26 per share, in the first quarter. Analysts on average expected $1.22 per share, according to Reuters Estimates. J&J reaffirmed its 2009 profit forecast. JNJ shares were up 1.4 percent in pre-market trade.

Advertisement