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    Peer Comparison: Charles Schwab vs Robinhood – Net Deposits and Retail Trading Trends in 2025

    Executive summary

    • Schwab recorded core net new assets of $80.3 billion in Q2 2025 while Robinhood reported net deposits of $13.8 billion in the same quarter; the differential frames deposit-gathering scale for incumbent custodian vs scaled retail platform.

    • Schwab Q2 net revenues were $5.9 billion and adjusted EPS $1.14; Robinhood Q2 net revenues were $989 million and diluted EPS $0.42.

    • Average daily dollar trading volume favors Robinhood due to much higher share turnover: Robinhood ~ $5.77 billion per day vs Schwab ~ $0.86 billion per day (3-month avg volume × last close).

    • Technical momentum: Schwab RSI neutral (~54) with mixed MACD signals; Robinhood shows stronger price momentum and positive MACD.

    • Verdict: For short-term traders interested in retail trading momentum, Robinhood’s deposit and volume momentum make it the stronger tactical trade this week; for conservative investors focused on deposit scale and diversified revenue, Schwab’s net new asset gathering provides a fundamentally stronger base. Use the phrase schwab net deposits vs robinhood net deposits 2025 when filtering news or screens.

    Summary fundamentals

    Schwab (latest quarter ended June 30, 2025)
    • Net revenues: $5.85 billion, YoY +25%
    • Diluted EPS (GAAP): $1.08; Adjusted diluted EPS: $1.14
    • Net interest margin: 2.65%
    • Debt-to-equity: regulatory leverage ratios shown; traditional D/E metrics vary by reporting unit – see filings for bank vs holding company detail.

    Robinhood (latest quarter ended June 30, 2025)
    • Net revenues: $989 million, YoY +45%
    • Diluted EPS: $0.42
    • Gross margin (company-style gross profit): ~92–95% reported historically for platform revenue mix
    • Debt-to-equity: low financial leverage; liabilities mainly customer payables and securities loaned; refer to SEC filing for the balance-sheet snapshot.

    Market caps and EPS (snapshot)
    • Schwab market cap ~ $173–175 billion; diluted EPS (TTM) ~ $3.72.
    • Robinhood market cap ~ $108–121 billion (intraday swings); EPS (TTM) ~ $1.97.

    Detailed fundamental analysis

    Charles Schwab – revenue trends, margin drivers, balance-sheet strength, valuation multiples

    Revenue drivers: Schwab’s Q2 2025 revenue expanded 25% year-over-year to $5.85 billion driven by net interest revenue growth and trading/asset-management fee recovery. Net interest revenue in Q2 was $2.82 billion, up 31% YoY. The firm reported sequential net interest margin expansion to 2.65%, driven by reduced high-cost funding and securities lending improvements.

    Margin drivers and profitability: Schwab reported GAAP pre-tax profit margin of 47.9% and adjusted pre-tax margin of 50.1% in Q2 2025. Cost control plus higher net interest income drove margin expansion.

    Balance-sheet strength: Schwab reduced bank supplemental funding by $10.4 billion in Q2 and holds large client sweep balances ($412.1 billion). Regulatory capital ratios remained robust per the 10-Q.

    Valuation multiples: TTM diluted EPS ~ $3.72 with trailing P/E in the mid-20s and forward P/E in the high-teens based on consensus; market cap ~ $173–175 billion. Use conservative multiples given financial-sector cyclicality.

    Robinhood – revenue trends, margin drivers, balance-sheet strength, valuation multiples

    Revenue drivers: Robinhood’s Q2 revenue grew 45% YoY to $989 million, fueled by transaction-based revenue (options, crypto), higher ARPU, and acquisition-driven expansion into crypto markets after closing Bitstamp.

    Margin drivers: Platform economics produce very high gross margins (crypto and transaction fees) with an adjusted EBITDA margin reported at 53% for Q2 2025; net margin was strong by tech-brokerage standards.

    Balance-sheet: Total platform assets jumped ~99% YoY to $279 billion driven by net deposits and acquired assets; cash and equivalents stood near $4.2 billion. Liability composition includes payables to users and securities loaned.

    Valuation multiples: HOOD trades at a premium growth multiple with trailing P/E in the 60s (varies with price), reflecting high growth and elevated investor expectations.

    Momentum & technical snapshot

    Charles Schwab technical snapshot

    • RSI(14): ~54.10 (neutral).
    • MACD status: MACD around -0.29 (slightly negative) – recent signals mixed; view MACD vs signal as neutral-to-slightly-bearish on daily timeframe.
    • 50d / 200d SMA: price near the 50-day and above the 200-day overall; tendency shows a medium-term uptrend but short-term consolidation.
    • 1-month return vs Nasdaq: Schwab one-month price performance modestly positive or flat relative to the Nasdaq Composite; Schwab’s 1-month range shows small gains.
    • Average daily dollar volume: Avg vol (3M) 9.02M × last close ~ $95.74 ≈ $863 million.

    Robinhood technical snapshot

    • RSI(14): ~60–62 (momentum-positive).
    • MACD status: MACD positive and showing bullish trend momentum on daily indicators; MACD values reported positive on multiple technical services.
    • 50d / 200d SMA: price above both 50d and 200d SMAs; clear uptrend.
    • 1-month return vs Nasdaq: Robinhood outperformed Nasdaq on a 1-month basis by a material margin (Robinhood +30%+ vs Nasdaq modest).
    • Average daily dollar volume: Avg vol (3M) ~ 43.67M × last close ~ $132.16 ≈ $5.77 billion.

    Peer comparison (selected metrics)

    Selected peers: Interactive Brokers (IBKR), Morgan Stanley (MS), Coinbase (COIN).

    • Interactive Brokers (IBKR): trailing P/E mid-30s, forward P/E high-20s, lower growth but solid operating leverage, lower D/E vs banks.

    • Morgan Stanley (MS): large diversified investment bank, trailing P/E ~18, forward P/E ~16; higher scale, different revenue mix (investment banking, wealth management). Use MS for risk/comparison of scale and earnings stability.

    • Coinbase (COIN): crypto-native exchange comparisons for Robinhood’s crypto business; trailing P/E in the 30s–40s depending on period, higher margin but regulatory risk differs.

    Takeaway: Schwab compares favorably on scale and deposit stability vs peers; Robinhood compares favorably on growth, margins, and volume but trades at materially higher growth multiples.

    Latest earnings highlights & management guidance

    Charles Schwab Q2 2025 – selected verbatim quotes (≤25 words each)
    • “Retail investors and RIAs continued to turn to Schwab as a trusted partner, opening over 1 million new brokerage accounts.”
    • “Schwab delivered growth on all fronts during the second quarter.”

    Robinhood Q2 2025 – selected verbatim quotes (≤25 words each)
    • “We delivered strong business results in Q2 driven by relentless product velocity.”
    • “Q3 is off to a great start in July, as customers accelerated their net deposits to around $6 billion.”

    Strategic moves, catalysts & risks (from recent filings and news)

    Charles Schwab
    • Catalysts: continued client asset gathering, stock repurchases and preferred redemptions, NIM improvement if funding costs decline further.
    • Risks: bank supplemental funding exposure, interest-rate sensitivity, regulatory and operational risk cited in 10-Q.

    Robinhood
    • Catalysts: Bitstamp acquisition closed in June 2025, product launches (tokenization, Robinhood Banking, Robinhood Legend), expanding crypto footprint and international launches.
    • Risks: regulatory scrutiny in crypto and securities, integration execution for acquisitions, operational and custodial liabilities. SEC/filings note contingent liabilities and regulatory uncertainties.

    Valuation & scenario analysis

    Assumptions: use recent TTM EPS as baseline and apply multiple ranges reflecting conservative/base/optimistic scenarios.

    Charles Schwab (EPS TTM ~ $3.72)
    • Conservative: 15× × $3.72 → $55.8 price target (discount to current multiple, assumes slower NIM recovery).
    • Base: 20× × $3.72 → $74.4 price target (assumes steady NIM and continued asset growth).
    • Optimistic: 25× × $3.72 → $93.0 price target (assumes sustained margin expansion and multiple re-rating).

    Robinhood (EPS TTM ~ $1.97)
    • Conservative: 30× × $1.97 → $59.1 price target (slowed growth/valuation compression).
    • Base: 50× × $1.97 → $98.5 price target (continued growth and margin retention).
    • Optimistic: 80× × $1.97 → $157.6 price target (large multiple for dominant retail-fintech growth and cross-selling).

    Notes: multiples selected to reflect industry comparables and current market pricing; adjust assumptions for forward EPS revisions and macro interest-rate shifts. Use scenario ranges to set risk-adjusted position sizing.

    Trading checklist & signals

    Momentum traders (short-term)

    Entry rules:
    • Wait for price above 50-day SMA and rising MACD crossing signal line with RSI < 75 to avoid immediate overbought extremes.
    • Confirm with above-average volume on the breakout day.

    Exit / stop rules:
    • Hard stop at 6–8% below entry for high-volatility names (Robinhood), 4–6% for Schwab.
    • Trailing stop: 8% on Schwab, 12% on Robinhood until MACD crossover reversal or RSI divergence.

    Sizing:
    • Use smaller position sizes on Robinhood due to higher beta and volatility (suggest 1–2% of portfolio per position for traders), larger sizing acceptable for Schwab relative to risk tolerance.

    Confirmatory indicators:
    • Volume acceleration, MACD histogram increasing, sector strength (financials/brokerage ETF) and absence of negative regulatory headlines.

    Longer-term investors

    Checklist:
    • Verify deposit and AUC trends: sustained net deposits (quarterly) for 2–3 quarters.
    • Check profitability trend (adjusted EPS growth) and capital returns (buybacks, dividends for Schwab).
    • Regulatory risk assessment for Robinhood’s crypto and international expansion; require 12–24 month integration milestones.

    Synthesis & actionable insights

    • Trader picks this week: Robinhood (HOOD) and Interactive Brokers (IBKR). Reason: Robinhood’s net deposit momentum, elevated volume, and positive MACD indicate strong short-term liquidity-driven moves; IBKR offers momentum with lower regulatory exposure than pure crypto plays.

    • Conservative investors: Charles Schwab (SCHW). Reason: scale of core net new assets, diversified revenue base, improving net interest margin and stable capital management favor a lower-risk accumulation thesis.

    • Contrarian risks: 1) Rapid reinflation in deposit outflows at Schwab from a sudden equity-market correction could reverse NIM gains and force borrowing; 2) Regulatory or execution setbacks on Robinhood’s crypto and global expansion could materially widen implied valuation multiples.

    Tickers mentioned

    1. The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW)
    2. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)
    3. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR)
    4. Morgan Stanley (MS)
    5. Coinbase Global, Inc. (COIN)