Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW), the San Francisco–based bank and brokerage firm, rose 19.9%, from $32.93 to $39.47, contributing 101 basis points to the Fund’s return. Schwab’s earnings on its bank assets and money market funds move up and down with interest rates. The stock spent most of the year underwater, as interest rates fell and central bankers in Japan and Europe pushed their rates into negative territory. The tide started to turn in July, however, as the U.S. economy improved and interest rates rose. Schwab’s stock jumped as rates surged even market is fully valued, it won’t necessarily go down. It can stay fully valued for a long time without dropping significantly lower. The robust economy, combined with Mr. Trump’s proposed policies, could cause an acceleration in corporate earnings, which could push the market even higher.
From the Parnassus Fund fourth quarter 2016 commentary.
