Banking, finance, and taxes

E*Trade Rises on Strong Earnings Beat

Thinkstock

When E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) reported its third-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Thursday, it posted $0.51 in earnings per share (EPS) and $486 million in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.33 and $443 million in revenue, while Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for the recent period called for $0.40 in EPS and revenue of $486 million.

During this quarter, E*Trade acquired OptionsHouse for $725 million, funded through the issuance of $400 million of non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock and $325 million of corporate cash.

Net new brokerage accounts totaled 162,000, including 148,000 from the OptionsHouse acquisition, and an annualized attrition rate of 8.0%.

Daily average revenue trades (DARTs) were 152,000 in the quarter, including 6,500 DARTs from the OptionsHouse acquisition.

Net new brokerage assets totaled $5.4 billion, including $3.7 billion from the OptionsHouse acquisition, ultimately ending the period with total customer assets of $307 billion.

Karl Roessner, CEO of E*Trade, commented:

This quarter was transformative for E*TRADE as we completed our first acquisition in over a decade, restructured our executive team and refocused the entire organization on growth, which is our unambiguous charge. We have a handful of clear-cut objectives around which we have aligned: First, to swiftly and flawlessly integrate OptionsHouse, with a commitment to fully realize the value of the acquisition; second, to reclaim our position as a trading powerhouse while at the same time emphasizing our investing offerings; and third, to improve our marketing to more effectively engage with customers and prospects. While we have serious work to do on a very aggressive timeline, I am confident in our ability to get the job done. Separately we are maniacally focused on driving operating leverage through increased efficiency and have taken meaningful steps, reducing $21 million of annual expense, over and above all expense synergies related to the OptionsHouse acquisition. On a personal front, I am thrilled to be leading this company, which I have supported and cared so deeply about for over 15 years. E*TRADE is a fantastic franchise with tremendous opportunity and I believe we are in a strong position to continue to deliver value for our shareholders and our customers.

Shares were last seen up about 6% at $29.91 on Friday, with a consensus analyst price target of $31.93 and a 52-week trading range of $19.61 to $30.98.

Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Orare you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.