Can Coinbase really grow bigger than Schwab in 2025? 3 things need to happen.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 18 2024
0mins
Should l Buy SCHW?
Source: MarketWatch
- Market Prediction: Matthew Hougan from Bitwise Asset Management predicts that Coinbase will surpass Charles Schwab in market capitalization next year.
- Industry Impact: If this occurs, Coinbase would become the largest brokerage firm globally.
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Analyst Views on SCHW
Wall Street analysts forecast SCHW stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 95.080
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
Current: 95.080
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
About SCHW
The Charles Schwab Corporation is a savings and loan holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The Company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services, and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage, investment advisory, and banking and trust services to individual investors, and retirement plan and business services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees. The Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, banking and trust, and support services to independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), independent retirement advisors, and recordkeepers. Its products and services include brokerage, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), managed investing solutions, alternative investments, banking, and trust.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Client Account Growth: As of January 31, 2026, Charles Schwab Corporation reported 38.7 million active brokerage accounts, 5.8 million workplace plan participant accounts, and 2.2 million banking accounts, indicating a robust expansion in its client base that enhances its competitive position in the market.
- Client Asset Scale: The total client assets managed by the company reached $12.15 trillion, reflecting a year-over-year increase that showcases Schwab's strong performance in wealth management and further solidifies its status as a leader in financial services.
- Service Diversification: Schwab offers a comprehensive range of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, and asset management services through its subsidiaries, catering to diverse client needs, which enhances customer loyalty and drives revenue growth.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: With increasing market demand for financial services, Schwab's diversified offerings and strong client base provide a solid foundation for future growth, and it is expected to continue attracting more investors.
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- Crypto Price Decline: Eisman highlighted that the renewed decline in crypto prices is directly impacting the performance of Robinhood and Coinbase, as evidenced by Robinhood's recent misses on earnings, revenue, and net new assets, indicating a heavy reliance on the crypto market.
- Valuation Disparity for Robinhood: Eisman emphasized the stark valuation disparity between Robinhood and its established competitors, suggesting that the company has little room for error, and any missteps could severely affect its future growth prospects.
- Coinbase Faces Similar Challenges: Coinbase reported a 22% year-over-year revenue decline and also missed earnings per share expectations, with Eisman warning that as long as crypto prices continue to fall, Coinbase's stock price will remain under pressure, reflecting its close ties to the crypto market.
- Cautious Market Outlook: Eisman's commentary suggests a cautious outlook for companies closely linked to retail speculation and the highly cyclical crypto market, especially as Bitcoin has plunged over 45% from its record high, leading to significant declines in the stock prices of both Robinhood and Coinbase.
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- Wealth Management Risks: The rise of advanced AI advisory tools poses a significant threat to wealth management firms like Charles Schwab (SCHW) and Raymond James (RJF), as clients may shift to cheaper digital alternatives, putting long-term pressure on their fee-based revenue models and profit margins.
- Insurance Industry Challenges: The development of AI assessment algorithms threatens the insurance brokerage sector, with companies like Marsh McLennan (MRSH) and Aon (AON) potentially losing their intermediary value due to AI-driven comparison engines, leading to downward pressure on stock prices.
- Increased Competition for Small Banks: The allure of digital banking powered by AI makes it difficult for small banks to compete effectively, as they often lack the resources needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive market, posing significant challenges to their business models.
- Data Dependency Issues: Companies reliant on publicly available data, such as Nasdaq (NDAQ) and S&P Global (SPGI), are facing vulnerabilities in their business models, as evidenced by their recent stock price declines, which reflect market concerns about their future prospects.
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- Market Volatility Intensifies: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both fell over 1% last week due to AI concerns, with sell-offs in Financial Services, Consumer Discretionary, and tech stocks indicating the potential impact of AI across multiple industries.
- Logistics Sector Hit: Shares of C.H. Robinson and Universal Logistics dropped 11% and 9%, respectively, after a Florida-based company announced a new tool to scale freight volumes without increasing headcount, highlighting AI's threat to traditional logistics models.
- Wealth Management Turmoil: Charles Schwab and Raymond James saw their stocks decline by 10% and 8%, respectively, as the launch of an AI-driven tax tool raised fears about pressure on high advisory fees, further fueling market concerns over automation.
- Investor Sentiment Cautious: Despite the sell-off, analysts believe the current pullback is a short-term phenomenon, forecasting the S&P 500 to reach 7,600 by year-end, reflecting optimism towards other sectors amidst the volatility.
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Investor Sentiment: Investors are increasingly cautious about disruptive AI technologies, leading to swift sell-offs in the stock market when threats are perceived.
Impact on Wealth Management: The wealth management sector experienced significant declines, particularly for companies like Charles Schwab and LPL Financial, following the announcement of a new AI tax planning tool by Altruist.
AI Tool Launch: Altruist's new AI tax planning tool is considered groundbreaking by some financial advisors, contributing to the negative market reaction.
Market Reaction: The launch of innovative AI solutions in finance is causing volatility in related stocks, as investors reassess the potential impact on traditional wealth management firms.
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- Market Uncertainty: The stock market faced challenges last week due to unresolved questions affecting investor confidence.
- Impact of Lack of Answers: The absence of clear answers contributed to volatility and uncertainty in market performance.
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