THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Institutional Client Services activities are organized by asset
class and include both “cash” and “derivative”
instruments. “Cash” refers to trading the underlying
instrument (such as a stock, bond or barrel of oil).
“Derivative” refers to instruments that derive their value
from underlying asset prices, indices, reference rates and
other inputs, or a combination of these factors (such as an
option, which is the right or obligation to buy or sell a
certain bond, stock or other asset on a specified date in the
future at a certain price, or an interest rate swap, which is
the agreement to convert a fixed rate of interest into a
floating rate or vice versa).
Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Client
Execution. Includes client execution activities related to
making markets in both cash and derivative instruments for
interest rate products, credit products, mortgages,
currencies and commodities.
‰ Interest Rate Products. Government bonds (including
inflation-linked securities) across maturities, other
government-backed securities, securities sold under
agreements to repurchase (repurchase agreements), and
interest rate swaps, options and other derivatives.
‰ Credit Products. Investment-grade corporate securities,
high-yield securities, credit derivatives, exchange-traded
funds, bank and bridge loans, municipal securities,
emerging market and distressed debt, and trade claims.
‰ Mortgages. Commercial mortgage-related securities,
loans and derivatives, residential mortgage-related
securities, loans and derivatives (including U.S.
government agency-issued collateralized mortgage
obligations and other securities and loans), and other
asset-backed securities, loans and derivatives.
‰ Currencies. Currency options, spot/forwards and other
derivatives on G-10 currencies and emerging-market
products.
‰ Commodities. Commodity derivatives and, to a lesser
extent, physical commodities, involving crude oil and
petroleum products, natural gas, base, precious and other
metals, electricity, coal, agricultural and other
commodity products.
Equities. Includes equities client execution, commissions
and fees, and securities services.
Equities Client Execution. We make markets in equity
securities and equity-related products, including exchange-
traded funds, convertible securities, options, futures and
over-the-counter (OTC) derivative instruments, on a global
basis. As a principal, we facilitate client transactions by
providing liquidity to our clients, including with large
blocks of stocks or derivatives, requiring the commitment
of our capital.
We also structure and make markets in derivatives on
indices, industry groups, financial measures and individual
company stocks. We develop strategies and provide
information about portfolio hedging and restructuring and
asset allocation transactions for our clients. We also work
with our clients to create specially tailored instruments to
enable sophisticated investors to establish or liquidate
investment positions or undertake hedging strategies. We
are one of the leading participants in the trading and
development of equity derivative instruments.
Our exchange-based market-making activities include
making markets in stocks and exchange-traded funds,
futures and options on major exchanges worldwide.
Commissions and Fees. We generate commissions and
fees from executing and clearing institutional client
transactions on major stock, options and futures exchanges
worldwide, as well as OTC transactions. We provide our
clients with access to a broad spectrum of equity execution
services, including electronic “low-touch” access and more
complex “high-touch” execution through both traditional
and electronic platforms.
Securities Services. Includes financing, securities lending
and other prime brokerage services.
‰ Financing Services. We provide financing to our clients
for their securities trading activities through margin loans
that are collateralized by securities, cash or other
acceptable collateral. We earn a spread equal to the
difference between the amount we pay for funds and the
amount we receive from our client.
‰ Securities Lending Services. We provide services that
principally involve borrowing and lending securities to
cover institutional clients’ short sales and borrowing
securities to cover our short sales and otherwise to make
deliveries into the market. In addition, we are an active
participant in broker-to-broker securities lending and
third-party agency lending activities.
‰ Other Prime Brokerage Services. We earn fees by
providing clearing, settlement and custody services
globally. In addition, we provide our hedge fund and
other clients with a technology platform and reporting
which enables them to monitor their security portfolios
and manage risk exposures.
Goldman Sachs 2018 Form 10-K 3