Retail brokers benefitted from the first quarter's volatility

Charles Schwab posted its highest quarterly revenue ever and ETrade saw its highest quarterly sales since 2009.
APR 20, 2018

Retail brokerages ETrade Financial Corp. and Charles Schwab Corp. welcomed the return of volatility. The jump in the VIX from single digits to an average reading of 17.4 for the first quarter may have worried their clients, but the brokers saw a record number of average daily trades. Transactions for each of the firms surged more than 30% in the year's first three months over the prior quarter. Charles Schwab posted its highest quarterly revenue ever, and ETrade recorded the most sales in a quarter since 2009. TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., the other large public retail broker, reports its earnings on April 24.https://www.investmentnews.com/wp-content/uploads/assets/graphics src="/wp-content/uploads2018/04/CI115207420.PNG"

(More: Volatility is back. Should investors stay or go?)

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