Summary of Charles Schwab's 2026 Winter Business Update Company Overview - **Company**: Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) - **Event**: 2026 Winter Business Update - **Date**: January 21, 2026 Key Points Financial Performance - **Record Year**: 2025 was a record year for Schwab, with total net revenues reaching **$23.9 billion**, a **22% increase** from 2024 [3][4] - **Adjusted Earnings**: Adjusted earnings per share were **$4.87**, up **50%** year-over-year [4][24] - **Core Net New Assets (NNA)**: Schwab attracted **$519 billion** in core NNA, a **42% increase** over the previous year [3][42] - **New Accounts**: Clients opened **4.7 million** new brokerage accounts, a **13% increase** from 2024 [3] Client Engagement and Growth Strategies - **Client Engagement**: Supported **1.9 billion trades** and **30 million calls** to service centers, with **2.2 billion digital logins**, an **18% increase** from 2024 [6][8] - **Client Accounts**: Ended the year with over **46 million client accounts** and nearly **$12 trillion** in total client assets [9] - **Growth Levers**: Focus on attracting more clients and deepening relationships by serving more of their financial needs [10][12] Innovations and Services - **New Offerings**: Launched several new services, including Advisor ProDirect and a long-short separately managed accounts program [5] - **Acquisitions**: Entered an agreement to acquire Forge to enhance access to alternative investments and made a strategic investment in Carta [5][19] - **Wealth Management**: Expanded wealth services and improved capabilities in tax, trust, and estate planning [14][16] Market Position and Competitive Advantage - **Industry Leader**: Ranked number one among peers by total client assets and daily average trades, which reached **7.7 million** per day [9] - **Cost Efficiency**: Decreased cost per account by **20%** over the last five years, maintaining a competitive edge in expense on client assets [20][21] Future Outlook - **2026 Projections**: Anticipate total revenue growth of **9.5%-10.5%** and full-year organic asset growth of around **5%** [29][60] - **Interest Rates**: Expect interest rates to decrease, with a target Fed funds rate of **3.25%** by the end of 2026 [27] - **Earnings Growth**: Projected adjusted earnings of around **$5.70-$5.80**, representing upper teens year-over-year growth [32] Capital Management - **Capital Return**: Strong capital return strategy with **$11.8 billion** returned to shareholders in various forms [26][27] - **Tier 1 Ratio**: Adjusted Tier 1 leverage ratio finished at **7.1%**, above the target range of **6.75%-7%** [26][61] Additional Insights - **Client Demographics**: Average retail client age has decreased to the **40s**, with a significant portion of new clients being Gen Z [12][43] - **Lending Opportunities**: Significant growth potential in lending, with only **9%** penetration of Pledged Asset Line among ultra-high net worth clients [17][47] - **Alternative Investments**: Growing interest in alternative investments, with expectations of increased client engagement in this area [19][40] This summary encapsulates the key insights and data points from Charles Schwab's 2026 Winter Business Update, highlighting the company's strong performance, strategic initiatives, and future outlook.