Big Expectations at Goldman

Big brokerage houses are ready to roll out some big numbers.

Bear Stearns (BSC Quote), Lehman Brothers (LEH Quote), Morgan Stanley (MS Quote) and Goldman Sachs (GS Quote) are due to post fiscal first-quarter earnings this week.

Investors are expecting a continued run of robust results, though they'll be on the lookout for any signs of losses tied to the swooning subprime mortgage business.

Revenue from M&A advisory services and private equity continued to be strong across the board. And despite a bit of recent stock market slippage, trading -- the biggest profit-maker for all the brokers -- was solid during the quarter. ...