Schwab (SCHW, Financial) is the largest discount brokerage firm in the United States with more than $3 trillion in client assets and 11 million active brokerage accounts. This size provides Schwab with meaningful scale advantages over its smaller competitors. As the largest discount brokerage firm, the company is able to offer lower prices and invest more in superior customer service and technology than its peers. Schwab management calls this its “no trade-offs” policy—i.e., investing to provide the best product at the lowest price, and these investments attract even more clients to Schwab’s platform. As a result, Schwab has been able to grow its client assets at a double-digit rate in recent years, and given that the company still has less than 15% market share, we believe such growth should continue for the foreseeable future. The company also meaningfully benefits from rising interest rates, as the higher rates allow Schwab to reinvest its bank deposits at higher yields. We believe the combination of client asset growth and rising interest rates should drive substantial asset growth at Schwab in the coming years, and on our estimates, the company is currently valued at a discount to the overall S&P 500 P/E multiple. We believe this represents a bargain price for a well above average business.
From Bill Nygren (Trades, Portfolio)'s Oakmark Fund third quarter 2018 shareholder letter.
