Schwab still wins by gathering assets
- Schwab ended Q1 2026 with $11.77 trillion in client assets, up 19% from a year earlier.
- Core net new assets were $140.0 billion in Q1 2026, showing the brand still pulls in money.
- Q1 2026 net income rose 30% year over year, helped by lower pressure from funding costs.
- The Forge acquisition adds private market access, but it is still small inside Schwab.
- Direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading could help retain clients, but it adds new custody and rule risk.
Scale is still the main story
Schwab’s best asset is its huge client base. The company had $11.77 trillion in client assets at the end of Q1 2026, and it still gathered $140.0 billion of core net new assets in the quarter. That is the heart of the bull case: more client money gives Schwab more chances to earn interest income, fees, trading revenue, and banking income.
The latest results support that view. Q1 2026 net income was $2.5 billion, up 30% from a year earlier. Diluted EPS rose 38% year over year. This shows that earnings can improve when high-cost funding pressure eases.
Schwab is also widening the menu. Forge Global was acquired on March 2, 2026, giving Schwab access to private company investing. The company also plans a phased 2026 launch of direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading, with Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB as custodian, meaning it will hold client digital assets.
The bear case is not gone. Schwab is still sensitive to interest rates and client cash behavior. Crypto also brings a new risk set for a firm built on trust. Finn’s view is balanced, not a victory lap: the business has real scale, but the stock still needs proof that new products and better funding costs can turn into durable growth.
Client money drives the engine
Schwab makes money by serving investors and financial advisors at very large scale. It earns net interest revenue, which is the spread between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits and other funding. It also earns asset management and administration fees, trading revenue, bank deposit account fees, and other revenue.
The model works best when clients keep adding assets and leave cash or investments inside Schwab’s system. More assets can mean more advisory fees, fund fees, margin lending, bank deposits, and trading activity. Expense discipline matters because Schwab’s platform has high fixed costs.
The weak spot is that parts of the model act like a bank. If rates move fast, if clients move idle cash into higher-yield products, or if Schwab must use more costly funding, earnings can fall. That is why funding costs and client cash sorting remain key watch items.
A broad financial shelf
Retail brokerage and advice
This is the core Schwab offer for individual investors. It includes brokerage accounts, advisory services, trust services, and support.
Schwab banking
Schwab Bank supports deposits, lending, and cash sweep products. This can be very profitable, but it also creates interest rate and funding risk.
Asset management
Charles Schwab Investment Management runs Schwab mutual funds and ETFs. These products help Schwab earn fees on client assets that stay on the platform.
Advisor Services custody
Schwab serves independent registered investment advisors with custody, trading, banking, trust, and support services. This is a key way Schwab reaches client assets that advisors manage.
Forge private markets
Forge gives eligible clients access to private company shares and private market funds. It is a product extension meant to keep more client wealth inside Schwab.
Digital asset trading
Schwab plans direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in 2026 through a phased rollout. The upside is client retention, while the risk is custody, compliance, security, and regulation.
Two client groups
The mix uses Q1 2026 reportable segment net revenues from the March 2026 10-Q. Investor Services produced 78% and Advisor Services 22%, so the business is still tilted toward individual investors.
What could break the thesis
Interest rate whiplash
High impact · Medium oddsSchwab earns a large part of revenue from interest spread. If rates shift in a way that raises funding costs faster than asset yields, earnings can weaken. This risk showed up in past funding pressure and remains central to the bear case.
Client cash sorting
High impact · Medium oddsClients may move idle cash from low-yield sweep accounts into money market funds or other higher-yield choices. That can reduce cheap deposits and force Schwab to use more expensive funding. Even strong asset growth may not fully offset that pressure.
Crypto custody failure
High impact · Medium oddsSchwab’s planned direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading adds risks that are newer for the firm. A custody, trading, settlement, fraud, or security failure could hurt clients and damage the brand. The filing also says the crypto rulebook is still evolving.
Forge does not scale
Medium impact · Medium oddsForge cost $636 million of cash and other consideration. In its first month inside Schwab, the filing shows $14 million of net revenues and a $6 million net loss from the acquisition. The strategic idea makes sense, but the product needs adoption to matter.
Low-cost competition
Medium impact · High oddsBrokerage and asset management are price-sensitive markets. Low-cost rivals can pressure fees, trading economics, and client growth. Schwab’s scale helps, but it does not remove the need to keep prices attractive.
In one breath
How does Charles Schwab make money?
Schwab earns net interest revenue, asset management and administration fees, trading revenue, bank deposit account fees, and other revenue. In simple terms, it makes money when clients keep cash, investments, loans, and trading activity on its platform.
Why do interest rates matter so much for Schwab?
Schwab has a banking side that earns a spread on deposits, loans, and securities. If funding gets more expensive or clients move cash to higher-yield products, that spread can shrink.
What did the Forge acquisition add?
Forge adds access to private market investments, such as private company shares and funds. The goal is to help Schwab keep more wealthy client assets on its platform.
Is Schwab already offering crypto trading?
Schwab disclosed a phased 2026 launch for direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading. The company named Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB as custodian for client digital assets.