Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reported record breaking earning of $13.39 billion for its fourth-quarter in 2009 on Thursday and revealed that it kept compensation below the levels of its pre-crisis heydays.

The investment bank's record-high profit of $4.95 billion for the fourth quarter surpassed Wall Street speculated estimates. The amount eclipsed the combined returns of rivals J. P. Morgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., and it embraces Goldman's renaissance from a financial crisis that toppled competitors.

After the earnings were released, President Barack Obama proposed restrictions on the size and risk-taking of the nation's biggest banks.

Goldman fetched $16.7 billion in its compensation pool over the first three quarters of the year, putting it on track to pay out bonuses that would have topped the payouts of 2007.

However, in the final three months of the year, it reduced its pool of compensation funds by $519 million.

The bank's earnings of $8.20 a share for the quarter exceeded the average speculation of $5.20 a share by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Revenue was $9.62 billion, compared with forecasts of $9.65 billion.

In addition, revenue fetched from principal investments fell to $6.41 billion in the fourth quarter from $10.03 billion in the third quarter, compared to $4.36 billion the previous year.