Wall Street’s 2007 Heroes Ascendant as Goldman, Blackstone Surge

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Blackstone Group LP were the toast of Wall Street in 2007 as they raised record-setting funds and earned returns of more than 30 percent. Eight years later, they captured some of that dominance again in the first quarter.

Goldman Sachs rode a rare increase in trading and more than $1 billion of gains from equity investments made with its balance sheet to post the highest earnings per share in five years. Blackstone, the largest alternative-asset manager, doubled first-quarter profit to a record.