Two major U.S. investment banks -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. -- on Tuesday reported sharp drops of more than 50 percent in their net earnings for the December-February quarter, struck by the subprime mortgage crisis.

To access full stories on Kyodo News English website, it is necessary to subscribe. Please contact Kyodo's International Department in Tokyo via e-mail at kokusai@kyodonews.jp or call 03-6252-8301. If you are outside Japan, please contact Kyodo News International in New York at kni@kyodonews.com or call +1-212-508-5440. Currently we offer subscriptions to only corporate clients such as newspapers, magazines, trade publications, research institutes, government and international organizations.