Charles Schwab Reports Record Trading Activity in April
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 14 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Record Trading Volume: Charles Schwab reported a daily average trading volume of 10.3 million in April, marking a historic high that indicates a significant increase in client activity, despite a cautious market sentiment.
- Client Margin Loan Balances: Client margin loan balances reached $136.0 billion, up 21% from the end of 2025, setting another record and demonstrating strong demand for leveraged investments among clients.
- Core New Assets Decline: Core net new assets plummeted 91% month-over-month to $7.2 billion from $79.7 billion in March, although this represents a 167% year-over-year increase, reflecting the impact of market volatility on client investment decisions.
- Total Client Assets Growth: Total client assets grew to $12.61 trillion, increasing 7% month-over-month and 27% year-over-year, showcasing Schwab's ongoing growth potential in asset management.
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Analyst Views on SCHW
Wall Street analysts forecast SCHW stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 85.350
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
Current: 85.350
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
About SCHW
The Charles Schwab Corporation is a savings and loan holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The Company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services, and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage, investment advisory, and banking and trust services to individual investors, and retirement plan and business services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees. The Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, banking and trust, and support services to independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), independent retirement advisors, and recordkeepers. Its products and services include brokerage, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), managed investing solutions, alternative investments, banking, and trust.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Analyst Optimism: Mizuho raised its price target for Robinhood from $110 to $115, while Citizens reiterated its 'market outperform' rating with a $155 target, showcasing analysts' confidence in the company's growth prospects.
- User Base Expansion: Robinhood is actively working to grow its user base and reduce reliance on crypto trading, with the recent introduction of AI agent connectivity for trades potentially enhancing market performance in the coming years.
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- Stock Surge: Robinhood Markets closed at $94.30 on Friday, marking an 11.15% increase, driven by investor optimism following regulatory approval for U.S. perpetual futures trading, which could enhance its market position.
- Volume Spike: The trading volume reached 63.6 million shares, approximately 122% above the three-month average of 28.6 million shares, indicating strong market interest that may further propel the stock price upward.
- Analyst Upgrades: Mizuho raised its price target for Robinhood from $110 to $115, while Citizens reiterated its 'market outperform' rating with a $155 target, reflecting increased analyst confidence in the company's growth prospects.
- User Growth Potential: Robinhood is focusing on expanding its user base and reducing reliance on crypto trading; despite being a volatile investment, this strategic shift could help it outperform the market in the coming years.
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- Positive Market Reaction: Wurster's buy was up about 3.0% at the day's trading high, with SCHW reaching $86.78, reflecting positive sentiment in the market and further bolstering investor confidence.
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- Retail Investor Participation: While institutional investors will receive the largest IPO allocations, retail investors can also request shares during the offering window through select brokerages partnering with SpaceX's underwriters, demonstrating the company's openness to everyday investors.
- Participation Conditions and Process: For instance, clients of Charles Schwab must submit a conditional offer to purchase before pricing, with a minimum account balance of $100,000, while Robinhood and SoFi users can participate without a minimum balance, reflecting varying requirements across platforms.
- Investment Risk Advisory: Although IPOs offer high return potential, investors must recognize that allocations are limited and high demand may lead to partial fills, while newly public companies often experience extreme price volatility, necessitating a cautious approach to this high-risk investment.
See More
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- User Account Growth: As of April 2026, Robinhood boasts 27.6 million funded accounts, highlighting its strong appeal among younger investors, although it still lags behind industry giants in asset depth.
- Diverse Financial Ecosystem: Robinhood has expanded beyond stock and cryptocurrency trading to include banking services and retirement accounts, creating multiple revenue streams that enhance user retention and reduce churn risk.
- Asset Management Gap: With total platform assets of $345 billion as of April 2026, Robinhood's average funded account balance is approximately $12,500, significantly lower than Charles Schwab's $260,000, indicating a lack of asset depth.
- Profitability Model Challenges: While Robinhood attracts users through short-term profit strategies like prediction markets, this approach may deter conservative investors from increasing their asset allocation, potentially impacting long-term growth prospects.
See More
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- Asset Management Status: With total platform assets of $345 billion, Robinhood averages about $12,500 per funded user, which is significantly lower than Schwab's average account balance of $260,000, highlighting insufficient user investment on the platform.
- Financial Ecosystem Expansion: Robinhood has diversified its offerings beyond stock and cryptocurrency trading to include credit cards and retirement accounts, aiming to enhance user retention through a variety of financial products, thereby increasing revenue potential.
- Balancing Short-term and Long-term Gains: While Robinhood attracts users with short-term profit models like prediction markets, this strategy may undermine conservative investors' confidence, limiting the platform's long-term asset growth potential.
See More
