Net income topped $1 billion in 2023 as the firm reached another record headcount and CEO Dan Arnold said there are "interesting questions" to answer about AI.

The firm credits its ability to recruit highly productive advisory teams for its strong fourth-quarter balance sheet.

The roughly 100 incoming financial advisors to the firm's Financial Institutions Group softened the impact of a regulatory charge of $30 million.

The St. Louis-based firm's earnings fell by 8.4% in last year's fourth quarter. But its wealth management business could not be stifled.

Industry recruiters see the changes as intended to make client assets and advisory teams "stickier" and to retain executive talent.

The firm's net income, client assets and advisor headcount all grew last year, according to a new SEC filing. But experts see trouble under the surface.

The megabank's Personal Financial Management transaction helped drive some record metrics in 2023 for its wealth and fund segment.

A turbulent 2023 led to fourth-quarter declines in net new assets, net income and banking deposits at the financial firm.

How the big firms compare with each other in their advisor headcounts, assets under management and other attributes.

The firm's wealth and investment unit contributed more than half of the Wall Street giant's profits and revenues for 2023.