Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says it earned $4.79 billion in the fourth quarter as the bank's trading business again outdistanced the rest of the financial industry

The company rewarded its employes with $16.2 billion in salaries and bonuses for 2009.

Goldman said Wednesday it earned $8.20 a share in the last three months of the year as fixed income, commodities and currency trading buoyed its profits for the third straight quarter. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters predicted Goldman would earn $5.20 a share.

The bank's stock rose slightly in pre-opening trading.

Goldman, which has outperformed other financial companies for years, has been the strongest bank throughout the financial crisis. It had less exposure to toxic mortgage-backed securities than other companies and also has been more aggressive in its trading.