On Monday, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) maintained its Neutral rating on Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) stock with a consistent price target of $72.00. The firm acknowledged Charles Schwab's first-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.74, which matched the consensus estimates according to Visible Alpha Consensus Data.
The financial institution's adjusted expenses were reported to be 1% lower than the Street's expectations, leading to a slight pre-tax income surpassing predictions. This resulted in a pre-tax margin of 40.9%, slightly above the expected 40.5%.
Charles Schwab's key performance indicators (KPIs) for March indicated positive trends, with a notable stabilization in core sweep deposits, considered a critical factor influencing the company's EPS trajectory. Transactional cash balances saw a marginal decrease of less than 1% month-over-month.
However, core deposits were estimated to have remained stable during February and March. The average earning assets for March totaled $431.5 billion, a 1% month-over-month decline, which is seen as favorable for future estimates.
The company also reported robust net new assets (NNA) for March, amounting to $45 billion on a core basis. This figure translates to an annualized organic growth rate of 6%, marking the second consecutive month of improving organic growth trends. Despite the expectation of typical April seasonality potentially impacting cash balances, Goldman Sachs views the balance sheet trends as promising.
Goldman Sachs further noted that the stabilization in client cash trends is likely to be a key catalyst for Charles Schwab's stock, supporting a potential re-acceleration in the EPS growth trajectory.
Additionally, the firm observed that macroeconomic conditions have shown signs of improvement, with the forward curve incorporating only two rate cuts, which is perceived as a net positive for Charles Schwab, given the company's sensitivity to asset rates.
InvestingPro Insights
InvestingPro data reveals that Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) currently has a market capitalization of $133.42 billion, with a Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio of 27.38, which adjusts to 24.99 based on the last twelve months as of Q4 2023. The company has experienced a revenue decline of 9.27% over the last twelve months as of Q4 2023, yet it maintains a high Gross Profit Margin of 96.66% in the same period. Despite the revenue contraction, the firm has delivered a substantial 6-month price total return of 42.2% as of the date provided.
InvestingPro Tips for Charles Schwab highlight a cautionary note with five analysts revising their earnings downwards for the upcoming period, which could be a signal for investors to watch for potential changes in the company's financial outlook. On the other hand, the company has demonstrated a commitment to shareholder returns by maintaining dividend payments for 36 consecutive years, a testament to its financial stability and consistent performance. For those considering a deeper analysis, InvestingPro offers additional tips on Charles Schwab's financial health and future prospects. Use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription and gain access to these insights.
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