Corporate finance

Executives at the Wall Street giant expressed optimism that clients will turn to it more for advice amid economic uncertainty.

Meanwhile, former Charles Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger saw a 10% compensation increase for his final year on the job.

RBC's firmwide net income skyrockets despite rising costs, even as its advisor headcount holds steady.

Up from $26 million in 2023, Jane Fraser's compensation last year saw the largest increase so far among heads of big U.S. banks.

Following a 47% increase in earnings, Ted Pick is credited for his firm's "outstanding performance" in his first year at the helm.

The next CEO of Raymond James talks about how private equity ownership has made for some difficult marriages in wealth management, while a Morgan Stanley exec says asset outflows were unusually high last year.

The payday comes for a year that saw the bank's annual net income rise just over 2% to $27.1 billion.

Thrust into the top leadership role, Rich Steinmeier oversees strong results in his first six months.

The Zurich-based bank is in the midst of overhauling its U.S. wealth business with a greater priority on mass affluent clients and lower costs.

The addition of Prudential Financial and Atria Wealth Solutions helped boost LPL's advisor headcount to a record of nearly 29,000 by the end of last year.

Despite only a slight increase in its headcount of financial advisors amid tough recruiting fights, the firm reeled in record productivity, assets and advisory flows.

Like other wealth managers that have ceased reporting advisor numbers every quarter, Raymond James says the figures have lost meaning.

Stifel chief executive Ron Kruszewski said surging markets have forced firms to be particularly choosy about which advisors they try to poach from rivals. That may change this year.

The Westlake, Texas-based firm called 2024 a transition year after faltering during the regional banking chaos in 2023.

Executives say the Bank of America subsidiary likely benefited from clients in 2023 seeking a safe harbor from teetering regional banks.

The investment banking giant has been the subject of regulatory probes regarding the way it vets prospective clients. So far, that's not driving away potential clients, executives say.

CEO Ted Pick said nearly half of net new assets Morgan Stanley brought in last year landed in fee-generating accounts — and that's right where he wants them.

The regional giant reported $2.2 trillion in client assets last year, despite seeing its net new flows decline.

The number of financial advisors at America's biggest bank dropped slightly from last quarter but was still up from last year.

Citi wealth head Andy Sieg told employees that net new investment assets — which surged last year — are the division's "North Star."