Analyst Upgrades and Retail Data Fuel Schwab’s Stock Momentum

Shares of Charles Schwab Corp. advanced in Thursday's trading session, buoyed by a series of positive analyst revisions and the release of the firm's proprietary data on retail investor activity. The dual catalysts provided a lift to the equity, with market participants now assessing whether this positive sentiment can be sustained through the upcoming earnings report.

Key Market Data:
* Afternoon Trading Price: $104.69, marking a gain of 0.92% from the previous close (as of 1:11 PM EST).
* December Schwab Trading Activity Index (STAX): 48.48, compared to 48.75 in November.
* Total Client Assets: $11.83 trillion, reflecting a 15% year-over-year increase (latest monthly report).

A cluster of prominent financial institutions raised their price targets for Schwab early in the day, setting a constructive tone. The updates from Goldman Sachs, BMO Capital, Jefferies, and Raymond James served as the primary market driver. Goldman Sachs reiterated its "Buy" recommendation, while both BMO Capital and Raymond James affirmed their "Outperform" ratings, citing the company's solid fundamentals as a basis for confidence heading into 2026.

Retail Sentiment and Asset Growth Underpin Confidence

Complementing the analyst moves, Schwab's latest STAX reading, though slightly lower month-over-month, indicated that retail clients remained net buyers through the closing weeks of 2025. Sector interest was notably focused on communication services, financials, and large-cap technology names—trading activity that supports the brokerage's transaction-based revenues.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Schwab?

The firm's substantial and growing asset base provides critical context for the optimistic analyst commentary. With client assets reaching $11.83 trillion, a 15% annual increase, Schwab demonstrates robust organic growth. This scale helps explain why investors continue to favor the stock amidst broader geopolitical uncertainties.

Product Expansion and Forward Calendar

On the product development front, Schwab recently made the XA Investments Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund (OCTIX) available to advisors on its platform. This launch expands the firm's offerings in alternative credit and managed investing—areas where the company has reported significantly rising demand through the second half of 2025.

The next significant event for the market is the scheduled release of Q4 2025 financial results before the market opens on January 21. Consensus estimates project earnings per share (EPS) of $1.32, up from $1.01 in the prior-year period. Subsequently, Schwab will host a Winter Business Update via webcast for institutional investors.

From a technical perspective, the stock is trading near its 12-month high of $104.44 and remains well above its key 50-day and 200-day moving averages, at $95.74 and $94.78 respectively. While the recent analyst endorsements and product introductions provide near-term support, the sustainability of the current momentum will likely hinge on the actual Q4 performance figures due on January 21.