Adds comments on Q4 trading, client demands in paragraphs 7-10
By Saeed Azhar and Lananh Nguyen
NEW YORK, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Charles Schwab SCHW.N CEO Rick Wurster said on Wednesday the firm will look for more acquisitions and is confident it can integrate companies well.
"M&A will be something we're going to keep our eyes out for," he said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference in New York.
"If we can add a capability that appeals to our clients, it's going to add enormous value to the company with the size of our asset base and client base."
When asked about acquisitions in crypto companies, Wurster said, "If the right opportunity presented itself at the right price, we would certainly consider that."
Schwab last month announced it will buy private shares platform Forge Global for $660 million to capitalize on fast-growing demand from investors for access to pre-IPO companies.
The brokerage aims to offer spot crypto trading in the first half of 2026, Wurster said, adding it will test the products with employees and then a small group of clients before opening it to all investors.
Wurster said the firm's daily average trades are higher in the fourth quarter than they were the rest of the year.
He said client balances have grown beyond what they might have hoped for in the wake of market gains.
The S&P 500 index .SPX is up 16.5% this year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC is up about 21% year to date.
"A lot of our clients are asking us about how to protect that wealth," Wurster said.
The brokerage's profit beat expectations in the third quarter as its client assets rose to a record and trading revenue soared, it reported in October.
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(Reporting by Saeed Azhar and Lananh NguyenEditing by Rod Nickel)
((Saeed.Azhar@thomsonreuters.com; +1 347 908-6341; Reuters Messaging: saeed.azhar.reuters.com@reuters.net/))
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