For Goldman Sachs, It's Rinse and Repeat

It's not really a surprise at this point, but the investment banking giant Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) blew out analysts' projections in the third quarter and had another stellar quarter of earnings in what has already been a stellar year for the company. Goldman generated nearly $5.4 billion in profit in the third quarter, or $14.93 in earnings per share, on total revenue of $13.6 billion. Blowing out analyst expectations and producing massive profits have become the norm for Goldman, as the business is firing on all cylinders, taking advantage of strong market conditions in investment banking and trading, and executing on its strategic vision.