Goldman follows JPMorgan with strong profit above $3 billion

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s (GS) third-quarter earnings rose 73 percent from the depths of the financial crisis as income from the company's trading operations offset a drop in its investment banking business.

Goldman's stock fell three percent early Thursday as investors reacted to the slide in investment banking revenue, the result of a general slowness in takeover activity. Goldman also had $5.35 billion in compensation expenses during the July-September period.