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Charles Schwab Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 15 October 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record revenue and earnings per share: Net revenues rose 17% to a record $7.2 billion. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.62, up 29%, and adjusted EPS was $1.69. Source
  • Core net new assets up 38%: Core net new assets were $190.4 billion, an annualized growth rate of 5.8%. Total net new assets were $192.4 billion; with net market gains of $55.9 billion, client assets grew by $248.3 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Trading revenue and volume rose: Trading revenue was $1.2 billion, up 16% year-over-year but down 5% from the prior quarter. Daily average trades were 10.7 million, up 44% year-over-year and down 10% quarter-over-quarter. Source
  • Net interest margin expanded to 3.04%: Net interest margin was 3.04%, up from 2.88% a year earlier and 3.00% last quarter. Net interest revenue was $3,476 million, up 14% year-over-year. Source
  • Expenses rose 9% year-over-year: GAAP expenses excluding interest were $3,394 million, up 9%. Adjusted expenses also rose 9%. Expenses were flat from the prior quarter's $3,403 million. Source
  • Share repurchases in the quarter: The company repurchased 4.7 million common shares for $0.5 billion. In the second quarter it repurchased 11.2 million shares for $1.0 billion. Source

“During the third quarter, clients opened 1.2 million new brokerage accounts and entrusted Schwab with $190.4 billion in core net new assets - an annualized growth rate of 5.8%.”

President & CEO Rick Wurster

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The company announced Single Stock Futures on the thinkorswim platform and stated plans to expand digital assets available in Schwab Crypto. Source
  • New: The company introduced Charley, an AI-powered assistant giving U.S. retail clients conversational access to its tools and insights. Source
  • New: The company partnered with Anthropic to bring Claude for Financial Advisors directly to the independent RIAs it serves. Source

Results and earnings

  • Record revenue and earnings per share: Net revenues rose 17% to a record $7.2 billion. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.62, up 29%, and adjusted EPS was $1.69. Source
  • Net income and pre-tax margin higher: GAAP net income was $2,906 million, up 23%. The GAAP pre-tax profit margin was 52.7%, against 49.2% a year earlier; the adjusted margin was 54.8%. Source
  • Nine-month earnings per share up: Nine-month GAAP diluted EPS was $4.53, up 36% from $3.33, and nine-month net revenues rose 18% to $20,725 million. Source
  • Transaction costs excluded from adjusted results: Adjusted results exclude $151 million of pre-tax costs: $141 million of amortization of acquired intangibles and $10 million of acquisition and integration costs. Source
  • Returns on equity and tangible equity rose: Return on average common equity was 25%, up from 21%. Return on tangible common equity was 44%, up from 38%, both annualized. Source

Client growth and accounts

  • Core net new assets up 38%: Core net new assets were $190.4 billion, an annualized growth rate of 5.8%. Total net new assets were $192.4 billion; with net market gains of $55.9 billion, client assets grew by $248.3 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Total client assets reach $13.33 trillion: Total client assets rose 15% year-over-year and 2% from the prior quarter-end, to $13.33 trillion. Source
  • Advisor and Investor Services both grew: Advisor Services net new assets were $120.1 billion, up 47%. Investor Services net new assets were $72.3 billion, up 37%. Source
  • Account openings and total accounts: Clients opened 1.2 million new brokerage accounts, down 10% from the prior quarter and up 9% from a year earlier. Total client accounts reached 48.6 million. Source

“Our diversified business model, continued focus on meeting clients’ evolving needs, and industry leading scale combined to drive year-over-year GAAP earnings growth of 29% to a record $1.62, or $1.69 on an adjusted (1) basis.”

CFO Mike Verdeschi

Products, trading and fees

  • Asset management fees up 14%: Asset management and administration fees were $1.9 billion, up 5% from the prior quarter. Management attributed the growth to organic growth and greater use of wealth and asset management solutions. Source
  • Trading revenue and volume rose: Trading revenue was $1.2 billion, up 16% year-over-year but down 5% from the prior quarter. Daily average trades were 10.7 million, up 44% year-over-year and down 10% quarter-over-quarter. Source
  • Revenue per trade lower year-over-year: Revenue per trade was $1.69, down 20% from a year earlier and up 3% from the prior quarter. Source
  • Bank deposit fees and other income up: Bank deposit account fees rose 40% year-over-year to $345 million. Other revenue rose 64% year-over-year to $279 million. Source

Net interest revenue and lending

  • Net interest margin expanded to 3.04%: Net interest margin was 3.04%, up from 2.88% a year earlier and 3.00% last quarter. Net interest revenue was $3,476 million, up 14% year-over-year. Source
  • Bank loans up 35% year-over-year: Bank loan balances were $72.3 billion, up from $67.0 billion at June month-end. Source
  • Margin loans rose 14% in quarter: Margin loan balances reached $187.9 billion, up 14% from the prior quarter and 93% from a year earlier. Of this, $60.7 billion relates to long/short strategies. Source
  • Sweep cash balances grew $7.1 billion: Client transactional sweep cash ended September at $492.8 billion. Average interest-earning assets were $451.5 billion, up 8% year-over-year. Source

“Deeper client engagement across Schwab's platform continues to broaden and strengthen our revenue model, helping our third quarter revenue increase 17% year-over-year to a record $7.2 billion.”

CFO Mike Verdeschi

Expenses and cost base

  • Expenses rose 9% year-over-year: GAAP expenses excluding interest were $3,394 million, up 9%. Adjusted expenses also rose 9%. Expenses were flat from the prior quarter's $3,403 million. Source
  • Compensation and professional services up: Compensation and benefits rose 6% to $1,756 million, and were down 2% from the prior quarter. Professional services rose 11% to $325 million. Source
  • Expense ratio to client assets lower: Expenses excluding interest were 0.10% of average client assets, annualized, down from 0.11% a year earlier. Full-time equivalent employees were 33.9 thousand, up 4%. Source
  • Occupancy and communications costs rose: Occupancy and equipment rose 13% to $316 million. Communications rose 15% to $172 million, year-over-year. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Share repurchases in the quarter: The company repurchased 4.7 million common shares for $0.5 billion. In the second quarter it repurchased 11.2 million shares for $1.0 billion. Source
  • Dividend per share held at $0.32: Dividends declared per common share were $0.32, unchanged from the prior quarter and up 19% from $0.27 a year earlier. Source
  • Preliminary capital ratios reported: Preliminary consolidated Tier 1 Leverage was 8.9%, and adjusted Tier 1 Leverage was 7.0%, against 8.7% and 6.8% at June 30. Source
  • Cash and equivalents declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $36.7 billion at quarter-end, down from $40.6 billion in the prior quarter. Stockholders' equity was $51.4 billion. Source
  • Capital spending of $319 million: Capital expenditures were $319 million, down from $792 million in the second quarter. The second quarter included $633 million for a multi-year software license agreement. Source

Wealth products and recognition

  • Managed investing net flows up 22%: Managed Investing Solutions net flows grew 22% against the third quarter of 2025, a rise attributed to clients' use of wealth and asset management solutions. Source
  • Pledged lines and advisory flows grew: Pledged Asset Line balances reached $37.3 billion, up 59% year-over-year. Net flows into Schwab Wealth Advisory increased 55%. Source
  • Fortune recognition received: The company was recognized as one of Fortune's 2026 Most Innovative Companies. Source

Coming up, as management said on 15 October 2026

  • Fall Business Update for investors: The company hosted a Fall Business Update for institutional investors on the morning of the release date, October 15, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total client assets Source$13.33 trillion
Core net new assets Source$190.4 billion
New brokerage accounts Source1.2 million
Active brokerage accounts Source40,260 thousand
Banking accounts Source2,425 thousand
Workplace plan participant accounts Source5,868 thousand
Clients' daily average trades Source10,687 thousand

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.