Schwab Reports Monthly Activity Highlights
- Strong core net new assets growth of $17.2 billion in January 2024.
- Total client assets increased to $8.56 trillion, a 14% rise from January 2023.
- Transactional sweep cash declined to $406.1 billion as clients reengaged with the markets post December 2023 build-up.
- None.
Insights
The reported increase in core net new assets by $17.2 billion and $21.4 billion when excluding Ameritrade originated brokerage clients, signifies robust organic growth and client retention for Charles Schwab. This is a critical metric for assessing the company's performance, as it reflects both the acquisition of new clients and the additional assets from existing clients. The year-over-year growth of 14% in total client assets indicates a strong market position and the ability to attract and manage significant wealth. However, the flat growth compared to December 2023 suggests a potential plateau in asset accumulation, which could be a point of concern if the trend continues.
Transactional sweep cash is another significant figure, as it represents the liquidity available for the company to invest and earn interest. The decrease of $11.3 billion in January aligns with seasonal trends, but it also indicates that clients are possibly moving their funds into investment opportunities rather than leaving them in cash. This behavior could signal investor confidence in the market or a strategic shift in asset allocation. The implications of such movements are twofold: while they may reduce immediate interest revenue for Schwab, they also suggest active client engagement, which could lead to higher transaction-based revenues.
Understanding the broader market context is essential when analyzing Charles Schwab's performance. The reported 14% year-over-year increase in client assets outpaces inflation, suggesting real growth in value. It is also indicative of the company's competitive positioning within the financial services industry. Considering the company's flat month-over-month asset growth, it is crucial to compare this with industry trends to determine if this is an isolated case or reflective of a wider market sentiment.
Furthermore, the behavior of transactional sweep cash can be indicative of investor sentiment. The reduction in sweep cash suggests that investors may be taking a more aggressive stance in their investment strategies at the beginning of the year, a pattern that could be influenced by macroeconomic factors such as interest rate changes, stock market performance and economic forecasts. These trends can provide insights into the potential revenue streams from trading activities and asset management fees, which are pivotal for Charles Schwab's profitability.
-
Total core net new assets brought to the company by new and existing clients equaled
, or$17.2 billion in core net new assets excluding Ameritrade originated brokerage clients.$21.4 billion -
Total client assets were
as of month-end January, up$8.56 trillion 14% from January 2023 and flat versus December 2023. -
Transactional sweep cash ended January 2024 at
, representing a decrease of$406.1 billion versus the prior month. This decline was in-line with typical January seasonality as clients reengaged with the markets following a nearly$11.3 billion build-up in cash during December 2023.$15 billion
About Charles Schwab
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with 35.0 million active brokerage accounts, 5.2 million workplace plan participant accounts, 1.9 million banking accounts, and
The Charles Schwab Corporation Monthly Activity Report For January 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 |
2024 |
Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Mo. | Yr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Market Indices (at month end) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dow Jones Industrial Average® | 34,086 |
|
32,657 |
|
33,274 |
|
34,098 |
|
32,908 |
|
34,408 |
|
35,560 |
|
34,722 |
|
33,508 |
|
33,053 |
|
35,951 |
|
37,690 |
|
38,150 |
|
1 |
% |
12 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Nasdaq Composite® | 11,585 |
|
11,456 |
|
12,222 |
|
12,227 |
|
12,935 |
|
13,788 |
|
14,346 |
|
14,035 |
|
13,219 |
|
12,851 |
|
14,226 |
|
15,011 |
|
15,164 |
|
1 |
% |
31 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Standard & Poor’s® 500 | 4,077 |
|
3,970 |
|
4,109 |
|
4,169 |
|
4,180 |
|
4,450 |
|
4,589 |
|
4,508 |
|
4,288 |
|
4,194 |
|
4,568 |
|
4,770 |
|
4,846 |
|
2 |
% |
19 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Client Assets (in billions of dollars) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beginning Client Assets | 7,049.8 |
|
7,480.6 |
|
7,380.2 |
|
7,580.0 |
|
7,631.5 |
|
7,650.2 |
|
8,015.8 |
|
8,241.0 |
|
8,094.7 |
|
7,824.5 |
|
7,653.4 |
|
8,180.6 |
|
8,516.6 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Net New Assets (1) | 36.1 |
|
41.7 |
|
72.9 |
|
13.6 |
|
24.6 |
|
33.8 |
|
12.9 |
|
8.1 |
|
27.2 |
|
5.0 |
|
19.2 |
|
42.1 |
|
14.8 |
|
(65 |
%) |
(59 |
%) |
|||||||||||||||
Net Market Gains (Losses) | 394.7 |
|
(142.1 |
) |
126.9 |
|
37.9 |
|
(5.9 |
) |
331.8 |
|
212.3 |
|
(154.4 |
) |
(297.4 |
) |
(176.1 |
) |
508.0 |
|
293.9 |
|
26.7 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Total Client Assets (at month end) | 7,480.6 |
|
7,380.2 |
|
7,580.0 |
|
7,631.5 |
|
7,650.2 |
|
8,015.8 |
|
8,241.0 |
|
8,094.7 |
|
7,824.5 |
|
7,653.4 |
|
8,180.6 |
|
8,516.6 |
|
8,558.1 |
|
- |
|
14 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Core Net New Assets (1,2) | 36.1 |
|
41.7 |
|
53.9 |
|
(2.3 |
) |
20.7 |
|
33.8 |
|
13.7 |
|
4.9 |
|
27.1 |
|
11.3 |
|
21.7 |
|
43.1 |
|
17.2 |
|
(60 |
%) |
(52 |
%) |
|||||||||||||||
Receiving Ongoing Advisory Services (at month end) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investor Services | 524.6 |
|
515.5 |
|
526.2 |
|
530.7 |
|
526.3 |
|
547.5 |
|
560.6 |
|
552.2 |
|
533.0 |
|
522.2 |
|
557.0 |
|
581.4 |
|
584.1 |
|
- |
|
11 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Advisor Services (3) | 3,345.4 |
|
3,289.6 |
|
3,369.3 |
|
3,394.9 |
|
3,377.8 |
|
3,527.8 |
|
3,619.8 |
|
3,554.2 |
|
3,448.0 |
|
3,380.3 |
|
3,604.4 |
|
3,757.4 |
|
3,780.4 |
|
1 |
% |
13 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Client Accounts (at month end, in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Active Brokerage Accounts | 33,878 |
|
34,010 |
|
34,120 |
|
34,248 |
|
34,311 |
|
34,382 |
|
34,434 |
|
34,440 |
|
34,540 |
|
34,571 |
|
34,672 |
|
34,838 |
|
35,017 |
|
1 |
% |
3 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Banking Accounts | 1,729 |
|
1,733 |
|
1,746 |
|
1,757 |
|
1,768 |
|
1,781 |
|
1,792 |
|
1,798 |
|
1,799 |
|
1,812 |
|
1,825 |
|
1,838 |
|
1,856 |
|
1 |
% |
7 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Workplace Plan Participant Accounts (4) | 4,817 |
|
4,839 |
|
4,845 |
|
4,869 |
|
4,962 |
|
5,003 |
|
5,030 |
|
5,037 |
|
5,141 |
|
5,212 |
|
5,212 |
|
5,221 |
|
5,226 |
|
- |
|
8 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Client Activity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Brokerage Accounts (in thousands) | 344 |
|
320 |
|
378 |
|
331 |
|
314 |
|
315 |
|
303 |
|
311 |
|
280 |
|
284 |
|
286 |
|
340 |
|
366 |
|
8 |
% |
6 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Client Cash as a Percentage of Client Assets (5,6) | 11.5 |
% |
11.6 |
% |
11.2 |
% |
10.8 |
% |
10.9 |
% |
10.5 |
% |
10.2 |
% |
10.4 |
% |
10.8 |
% |
11.2 |
% |
10.7 |
% |
10.5 |
% |
10.5 |
% |
- |
|
(100) bp | ||||||||||||||||
Derivative Trades as a Percentage of Total Trades | 23.0 |
% |
23.5 |
% |
22.8 |
% |
23.4 |
% |
23.5 |
% |
23.9 |
% |
23.0 |
% |
24.4 |
% |
24.2 |
% |
23.2 |
% |
23.1 |
% |
21.8 |
% |
21.8 |
% |
- |
|
(120) bp | ||||||||||||||||
Selected Average Balances (in millions of dollars) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average Interest-Earning Assets (7) | 512,893 |
|
503,122 |
|
497,627 |
|
493,215 |
|
483,438 |
|
479,752 |
|
466,659 |
|
449,483 |
|
444,864 |
|
438,522 |
|
439,118 |
|
446,305 |
|
443,694 |
|
(1 |
%) |
(13 |
%) |
|||||||||||||||
Average Margin Balances | 60,211 |
|
60,575 |
|
60,848 |
|
60,338 |
|
60,250 |
|
61,543 |
|
63,040 |
|
64,226 |
|
64,014 |
|
63,946 |
|
61,502 |
|
62,309 |
|
61,368 |
|
(2 |
%) |
2 |
% |
|||||||||||||||
Average Bank Deposit Account Balances (8) | 122,387 |
|
115,816 |
|
109,392 |
|
104,775 |
|
103,149 |
|
102,917 |
|
102,566 |
|
101,928 |
|
100,404 |
|
97,893 |
|
94,991 |
|
95,518 |
|
95,553 |
|
- |
|
(22 |
%) |
|||||||||||||||
Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Buys (Sells) (9,10) (in millions of dollars) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equities | 7,236 |
|
5,850 |
|
(3,234 |
) |
1,126 |
|
(1,366 |
) |
9,190 |
|
7,423 |
|
(278 |
) |
675 |
|
(3,039 |
) |
6,099 |
|
7,903 |
|
8,182 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Hybrid | (433 |
) |
47 |
|
(1,641 |
) |
(462 |
) |
(889 |
) |
(903 |
) |
(407 |
) |
(1,037 |
) |
(828 |
) |
(1,457 |
) |
(1,466 |
) |
(1,596 |
) |
(501 |
) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Bonds | 5,646 |
|
4,281 |
|
6,158 |
|
2,575 |
|
2,029 |
|
3,302 |
|
2,515 |
|
4,696 |
|
2,723 |
|
1,094 |
|
255 |
|
6,104 |
|
7,510 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Net Buy (Sell) Activity (in millions of dollars) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual Funds (9) | 552 |
|
(2,338 |
) |
(7,423 |
) |
(4,904 |
) |
(7,157 |
) |
(4,485 |
) |
(3,333 |
) |
(6,476 |
) |
(5,853 |
) |
(12,245 |
) |
(9,267 |
) |
(7,406 |
) |
(966 |
) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Exchange-Traded Funds (10) | 11,897 |
|
12,516 |
|
8,706 |
|
8,143 |
|
6,931 |
|
16,074 |
|
12,864 |
|
9,857 |
|
8,423 |
|
8,843 |
|
14,155 |
|
19,817 |
|
16,157 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Money Market Funds | 24,285 |
|
23,347 |
|
27,106 |
|
6,291 |
|
15,256 |
|
9,112 |
|
7,911 |
|
16,869 |
|
13,388 |
|
16,976 |
|
11,670 |
|
7,745 |
|
11,717 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Note: Certain supplemental details related to the information above can be found at: https://www.aboutschwab.com/financial-reports. |
|
(1) |
Unless otherwise noted, differences between net new assets and core net new assets are net flows from off-platform Schwab Bank Retail CDs - including March 2023 which reflects inflows of |
(2) |
Net new assets before significant one-time inflows or outflows, such as acquisitions/divestitures or extraordinary flows (generally greater than |
(3) |
Excludes Retirement Business Services. |
(4) |
Beginning October 2023, Retirement Plan Participants was expanded to include accounts in Stock Plan Services, Designated Brokerage Services, and Retirement Business Services. Participants may be enrolled in services in more than one Workplace business. Prior periods have been recast to reflect this change. |
(5) |
Schwab One®, certain cash equivalents, bank deposits, third-party bank deposit accounts, and money market fund balances as a percentage of total client assets. |
(6) |
Beginning July 2023, client cash as a percentage of client assets excludes brokered CDs issued by Charles Schwab Bank. Prior periods have been recast to reflect this change. |
(7) |
Represents average total interest-earning assets on the Company's balance sheet. |
(8) |
Represents average clients’ uninvested cash sweep account balances held in deposit accounts at third-party financial institutions. |
(9) |
Represents the principal value of client mutual fund transactions handled by Schwab, including transactions in proprietary funds. Includes institutional funds available only to Investment Managers. Excludes money market fund transactions. |
(10) |
Represents the principal value of client ETF transactions handled by Schwab, including transactions in proprietary ETFs. |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240214557881/en/
MEDIA:
Mayura Hooper
Charles Schwab
Phone: 415-667-1525
INVESTORS/ANALYSTS:
Jeff Edwards
Charles Schwab
Phone: 415-667-1524
Source: The Charles Schwab Corporation
FAQ
What were the core net new assets brought to the company in January 2024?
What was the total client assets value as of January 2024?