Executive Summary
Charles Schwab delivered a transformational 2025 with record earnings of $4.87 per share, up 50% year-over-year, driven by a strategic pivot toward wealth management and lending that is fundamentally reshaping the company's revenue profile. The firm attracted $519 billion in core net new assets, a 42% increase, while managed investing net flows surged 36% to nearly $70 billion. This wealth management acceleration represents a structural shift: only 5% of retail households currently use managed investing solutions, yet 31% express willingness to pay for advice, creating a massive penetration opportunity. Management's disciplined execution is evident in pre-tax margin expansion to 50% in 2025, with guidance for further expansion to the low 50s in 2026 despite a challenging rate environment. The company's lending business reached $58 billion in bank balances, up 28%, with Pledged Asset Line penetration remaining remarkably low at just 9% of ultra-high net worth clients and 23% of RIA clients. CFO Mike Verdeschi's 2026 scenario projects 9.5%-10.5% revenue growth with earnings reaching $5.70-$5.80, representing upper-teens growth. The wealth management thesis is validated by Client Promoter Scores being highest for managed investing solutions, while generating 2x the return on client assets versus retail. This positions Schwab to capture secular trends toward fee-based advisory services while maintaining its dominant position in trading and custody.
Key Insights
what Rick Wurster, Mike Verdeschi said“Approximately 5% of retail households at Schwab engaged with our managed investing solutions, yet about 31% say they are willing to pay for advice”
what Rick Wurster, Mike Verdeschi said“Within retail, only 9% of ultra-high net worth clients have originated a PAL. In AS, 23% have a PAL... With an average spread to securities north of 100 basis points”
what Rick Wurster, Mike Verdeschi said“We took a number of steps to further enhance our flexibility and financial management capabilities, including standing up a hedge program that helped reduce our interest rate sensitivity by about one-third”
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