As of the weekend of November 30, 2025, Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) sits close to its 2025 highs, backed by record earnings, massive client asset growth, an aggressive buyback plan, and a strategic push into private markets. At the same time, the broker‑bank is navigating regulatory scrutiny, changing economics around ETFs, and a shifting competitive landscape.
Below is a structured look at today’s news flow, the most recent financial data, and what it all means for investors following Charles Schwab stock.
Share Price and Performance Heading Into November 30, 2025
U.S. markets are closed this weekend, so the freshest trading data comes from Friday, November 28, 2025. Schwab’s stock:
- Closed at $92.73 per share, up about 1.0% on the day. [1]
- Has climbed roughly 24% year-to-date from a closing price of $74.01 on January 1, 2025. [2]
- Trades within a 52‑week range of $65.88 to $99.59, putting it closer to the upper end of its recent band. [3]
Recent institutional coverage pegs Schwab’s market capitalization around $160+ billion, with a P/E ratio in the low‑20s and a beta slightly above 1, suggesting the stock tends to move roughly in line with overall market volatility. [4]
In other words: Schwab is no longer the distressed “rate‑shock” story it was in 2023. It’s trading like a high‑quality financial with a growth narrative, not a turnaround project.
What’s New on November 30, 2025?
There is no major corporate press release from Schwab itself dated November 30, 2025. The day’s “fresh” news is dominated by institutional ownership and portfolio‑flow headlines that reference Schwab’s asset‑management arm, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. (CSIM), plus ongoing institutional interest in SCHW shares.
1. CSIM 13F Activity: Dozens of Position Tweaks
A series of MarketBeat “instant alerts” published on November 30 highlight CSIM’s latest reported positions and changes in several individual stocks, based on recent 13F filings. Among today’s items:
- CSIM reduced its stake in Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) by about 22.6%. [5]
- It increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS). [6]
- It reported about $81.9 million in holdings of AeroVironment (AVAV). [7]
- CSIM bought 279,895 shares of IonQ (IONQ), a quantum computing company. [8]
- It trimmed or adjusted positions in names like Pool Corporation (POOL), SL Green Realty (SLG), Eastman Chemical (EMN), Solventum (SOLV), and J.M. Smucker (SJM). [9]
These moves are portfolio management signals, not direct corporate events for Schwab itself. They primarily matter in three ways for SCHW shareholders:
- They underscore the scale of Schwab’s institutional asset‑management platform across sectors—industrials, REITs, tech, consumer staples, etc.
- They highlight Schwab’s role as a major institutional holder in many U.S. equities, which can affect liquidity and governance at portfolio companies.
- They remind investors that Schwab’s earnings are leveraged not only to retail brokerage but to fee‑based assets under management.
2. New Institutional Interest in SCHW Shares
Today’s flow also includes coverage of other institutions buying Schwab stock itself:
- A MarketBeat note describes Virtus Investment Advisers LLC acquiring new SCHW shares, with the article noting that Schwab stock was recently trading around $91–92 and highlighting valuation metrics such as a P/E near 21.5 and a market cap north of $160 billion. [10]
- A separate piece earlier this week reported that Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in Schwab, adding to the backdrop of strong institutional support. [11]
Yahoo Finance data shows that institutional investors collectively own roughly 84% of Schwab’s outstanding shares, underscoring how heavily owned the stock is by professional investors. [12]
For retail investors, today’s news essentially reinforces a theme: big money continues to treat Schwab as a core financial holding.
Business Momentum: Record Earnings and Massive Client Assets
The more meaningful story behind today’s headlines comes from Schwab’s Q3 2025 results and its latest Monthly Activity Report.
Record Q3 2025 Earnings
On October 16, 2025, Schwab reported record quarterly revenue and profits for Q3 2025: [13]
- Net revenues: about $6.1–6.4 billion, up roughly 27% year‑over‑year.
- GAAP net income: approximately $2.36 billion, up about 67% from a year earlier.
- GAAP diluted EPS: around $1.26, while adjusted EPS was about $1.31, beating analyst estimates in the $1.24–1.25 range.
Key drivers behind this surge:
- Higher net interest income (NII) as Schwab continues to benefit from higher short‑term interest rates on its large base of interest‑earning assets.
- Strong asset growth and positive market performance lifting fee‑generating client assets.
- Operating leverage, as revenues grow faster than expenses.
Analyst commentary around these results has generally framed Schwab as a high‑quality, interest‑rate‑sensitive compounder whose earnings can grow at a healthy clip if markets remain supportive and short rates don’t collapse too quickly.
October 2025 Activity: $11.83 Trillion in Client Assets
Schwab’s October 2025 Monthly Activity Report, released on November 14, offers a detailed snapshot of the franchise: [14]
- Total client assets: about $11.83 trillion as of October 31, 2025, up roughly 20% year‑over‑year.
- Core net new assets in October: roughly $44 billion, continuing a trend of very strong organic inflows.
- Active brokerage accounts: about 38.1 million, plus 2.2 million banking accounts and 5.7 million workplace plan participant accounts.
Those figures reinforce the central Schwab thesis: this is a scale platform. When markets rise and investors add money, that scale turns into powerful fee and interest‑income growth.
Capital Returns: Dividend and a Massive Buyback
Quarterly Dividend: $0.27 Per Share
On October 23, 2025, Schwab’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, payable November 28, 2025 to shareholders of record on November 14. [15]
At the current share price around the low‑$90s, that works out to a forward annual dividend of about $1.08 per share, implying a yield of roughly 1.1–1.2%. [16]
Schwab also pays dividends on several preferred series, which remain relevant for income‑oriented investors but do not directly affect the common stock’s yield profile.
Stock Buyback: Up to $20 Billion Authorized
Earlier in 2025, Schwab announced an expansion of its stock repurchase program, with authorization for up to $20 billion in common share buybacks alongside its regular dividend. [17]
A recent Zacks analysis of Schwab’s liquidity “cushion” concludes that the company’s capital and liquidity positions appear strong enough to support ongoing capital returns, though the pace of buybacks will depend on regulatory constraints, earnings trends, and the rate environment. [18]
For common shareholders, this combination of a rising dividend plus a sizable buyback is a powerful earnings‑per‑share engine—assuming management continues to execute and regulators remain comfortable with Schwab’s balance sheet.
Strategic Shift: Private Markets and ETF Economics
Beyond the numbers, several strategic developments in late 2025 are shaping the long‑term narrative for SCHW.
1. Acquiring Forge Global: A Bet on Private Markets
On November 6, 2025, Schwab announced a deal to acquire Forge Global Holdings (FRGE) in a transaction valued at roughly $660 million. [19]
Forge operates a leading private‑company share trading platform and alternative trading system, where investors have traded over $17 billion of private company shares. The acquisition aims to:
- Make Schwab a “premier destination” for private markets access for affluent and advisory clients.
- Add technology and market structure expertise in secondary trading of private equity and venture‑backed companies.
- Strengthen Schwab’s appeal to advisors and sophisticated investors seeking diversification beyond public markets.
A Zacks note observed that Schwab shares rose around 1.7% on the acquisition news, suggesting investors welcomed the move as strategically accretive rather than overly risky. [20]
Execution risk remains: private markets are less liquid, more opaque, and more regulated than traditional equities. But if the integration succeeds, Forge could deepen Schwab’s fee‑based growth runway.
2. ETF Platform Fees: Monetizing the Shelf
A widely circulated “Weekend Reading for Financial Planners” column reported that Schwab is preparing to introduce ETF platform fees as early as 2026, following a similar move by Fidelity. According to that report, Schwab is expected to either: [21]
- Charge participating ETFs about 15% of their fee revenues, or
- Levy a ticket charge of roughly $100 per trade if fund companies decline to share fees.
This shift reflects the reality that commissions have gone to zero, and custodians are increasingly monetizing ETF shelf space instead of charging clients. It has several implications:
- For Schwab, it could boost recurring, less rate‑sensitive revenues.
- For ETF issuers, it might squeeze margins or push them to raise headline expense ratios.
- For investors, it raises questions about platform neutrality and whether “free” ETFs are truly free once platform economics are considered.
Net‑net, the news suggests Schwab is actively re‑engineering its revenue mix to rely less on trading spreads and more on platform economics and advice‑related fees.
3. ETF Adoption Trend: Toward ETF‑Only Portfolios
In a separate Schwab‑linked survey released earlier in November, the company reported that about half of ETF investors can imagine moving to ETF‑only portfolios within five years. [22]
That’s important because:
- ETFs are typically lower‑cost, tax‑efficient vehicles, which align with Schwab’s brand.
- Rapid ETF adoption supports trading, custody, and advisory revenue across Schwab’s platform.
- If ETF‑only portfolios become more common, the ETF platform fee story becomes even more central to Schwab’s economics.
Regulatory Overhang: TD Ameritrade Settlement Approved
One of the lingering questions around Schwab’s 2020 acquisition of TD Ameritrade has been antitrust risk. That cloud cleared somewhat this week.
On November 24, 2025, a federal judge in Texas approved an “injunction‑only” settlement resolving antitrust claims related to the TD Ameritrade merger. [23]
Key points from the Reuters report:
- The settlement requires Schwab to implement an antitrust compliance program designed to improve order‑routing practices.
- The program is expected to generate monthly trade‑price improvements estimated at $10.7 to $14.5 million for nearly 25 million Schwab customers.
- The settlement does not provide direct cash payments to class members but allows individuals to pursue separate damage claims.
- The judge also approved $8.25 million in attorney fees over objections by the state of Iowa and others.
Schwab has denied wrongdoing but supported the settlement. For investors, the takeaway is that a major legal overhang tied to the TD Ameritrade deal is closer to being behind the company, though regulatory scrutiny of brokerage practices remains an ongoing reality.
How Analysts Currently View Charles Schwab Stock
Wall Street’s stance on Schwab is broadly constructive.
- MarketBeat data shows an average 12‑month price target of about $106.45 from 24 analysts, with a high forecast near $139 and a low around the low‑$80s. [24]
- From Friday’s close around $92.73, that implies mid‑teens percentage upside if the average target proves accurate. [25]
- Firms like Truist Securities and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) have raised their Schwab targets to the $111–112 range in recent months, citing strong net interest income, solid growth in client assets, and better‑than‑expected earnings. [26]
At the same time, some research providers emphasize that after a strong rally, SCHW may be closer to fairly valued than deeply discounted, especially if interest rates begin to move lower more quickly than expected.
Key Risks for SCHW Investors
Despite the strong momentum, Charles Schwab stock carries several important risks.
- Interest‑Rate Risk
Schwab’s profitability is heavily tied to net interest income on client cash and securities. A rapid decline in short‑term rates could compress spreads faster than fee revenues grow, leading to earnings pressure. - Regulatory and Legal Risk
The TD Ameritrade settlement helps, but regulators continue to focus on payment for order flow, best execution, capital rules, and bank‑like risks at large broker‑banks. New rules could offset some of the flexibility Schwab has in returning capital or managing its balance sheet. [27] - Competitive Pressure
Schwab faces intense competition from Fidelity, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers, and app‑based brokers like Robinhood. A recent analysis argued that Robinhood could eventually surpass Schwab’s valuation by 2030 if it captures enough growth, underscoring how quickly competitive dynamics can change in retail brokerage. [28] - Execution Risk in Private Markets and Platform Changes
Integrating Forge Global and rolling out ETF platform fees are both non‑trivial execution projects. Missteps could hurt Schwab’s reputation for low costs and client focus, or attract regulatory attention if not handled carefully.
Bottom Line: What Today’s Headlines Mean for Charles Schwab Stock
On November 30, 2025, there is no single blockbuster headline redefining the Charles Schwab story. Instead, the day’s news flow—13F portfolio moves by CSIM and continuing institutional interest in SCHW shares—adds incremental support to a broader narrative:
- Fundamentals are strong: record earnings, double‑digit revenue growth, and trillions in client assets. [29]
- Capital returns are robust: a growing dividend plus a buyback program that could retire a meaningful chunk of shares over time. [30]
- Strategy is evolving: expanding into private‑market trading (Forge), reshaping ETF economics, and leveraging its scale in ETFs and advice. [31]
- Risks remain, especially around rates, regulation, and competitive disruption.
For investors following Charles Schwab Corporation stock, today’s developments mainly confirm that the long‑term story remains intact: Schwab is positioning itself as a diversified, technology‑driven wealth platform that aims to grow earnings and return substantial capital to shareholders—provided the macro and regulatory backdrop cooperate.
References
1. www.macrotrends.net, 2. www.aboutschwab.com, 3. www.macrotrends.net, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. www.marketbeat.com, 8. www.marketbeat.com, 9. www.marketbeat.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. www.marketbeat.com, 12. finance.yahoo.com, 13. pressroom.aboutschwab.com, 14. pressroom.aboutschwab.com, 15. pressroom.aboutschwab.com, 16. www.dividend.com, 17. www.rttnews.com, 18. www.zacks.com, 19. www.businesswire.com, 20. www.tradingview.com, 21. www.kitces.com, 22. www.stocktitan.net, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.macrotrends.net, 26. www.investing.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. www.fool.com, 29. pressroom.aboutschwab.com, 30. pressroom.aboutschwab.com, 31. www.businesswire.com


