Goldman Sachs: Financial Winners & Losers

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Goldman Sachs (GS) continued to climb as broader market indices struggled, making it one of the top performers of the financial sector Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs rose more than 2%, extending gains from Tuesday's session after the bank's key executives received a scolding from members of Congress during testimony on Capitol Hill. On Tuesday, Goldman shares rose 0.7% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 2%.

On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and trader Fabrice Tourre were among the witnesses who held their ground when questioned about conflicts in the firm's mortgage-related securities trades, saying they were merely acting as market markers and managing risk.

Lately, Goldman Sachs shares were rising 2.2% to $156.33. By comparison, the Dow and S&P 500 were up less than 0.5% Wednesday.

American International Group (AIG) was another winner among financial names Wednesday, rebounding 7.2% one day after an analyst offered negative commentary on the insurer.

AIG shares tumbled 16% Tuesday after Keefe Bruyette & Woods analyst Cliff Gallant cut the firm's rating on the insurer to underperform from market perform with a $6 price target. Gallant said that under the current ownership and capital structure, he sees little long-term value in the common shares, despite the strength of the underlying franchises.

AIG shares were up $2.69, or 7.2%, to $40.06.

Most major U.S. bank stocks were slightly higher, showing little reaction to word that a Senate vote to bring the Financial Regulation Bill to the floor for debate failed for a third time in as many days due to a lack of support from Republican members.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) was higher by 2.2% to $43.35, Citigroup (C) rose 2.1% to $4.43, Wells Fargo (WFC) was up 2% to $32.35, Morgan Stanley (MS) added 1.4% to $30.29, and Bank of America (BAC) gained 0.7% to $17.60.

On the earnings front, Invesco (IVZ) reported first-quarter net income of $95 million, or 21 cents a share, rising sharply from a year-ago profit of $31 million, or 8 cents a share. Invesco shares were climbing 4.7% to $21.70.

Elsewhere, SunTrust Banks rose for the first time in six sessions. SunTrust was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank on Tuesday, although the stock closed lower Tuesday for a five-session loss of 11.5%. Lately, though, SunTrust shares were gaining 4.9% to $29.15.

-- Written by Robert Holmes in Boston.

Follow Robert Holmes on Twitter and become a fan of TheStreet.com on Facebook.