RJF Falls as Q3 Earnings Lag on Legal Reserve, IB & Trading Stay Solid

Shares of Raymond James RJF lost 2.2% yesterday in after-hours trading in response to lower-than-expected third-quarter fiscal 2025 results (ended June 30). Adjusted earnings of $2.18 per share lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.37. The bottom line also declined 9% from the prior-year quarter.Adjusted results included a $58 million reserve increase related to the settlement of a legal matter over bond underwritings for a specific issuer, sold to institutional investors between 2013 and 2015. This was the primary reason that hurt the results. Higher expenses and provisions were also an undermining factor.On the other hand, the robust investment banking (IB) and trading businesses supported top-line growth. Also, the Asset Management segment's performance was impressive. The acquisitions over the past years aided the company’s financials.CEO Paul Shoukry said, “Our investment banking pipeline remains strong, and we are growing increasingly optimistic about macroeconomic conditions although the environment remains uncertain.” Net income available to common shareholders (GAAP basis) was $435 million or $2.12 per share, down from $491 million or $2.31 per share in the prior-year quarter.RJF’s Revenues Increase, Expenses RiseQuarterly net revenues were $3.40 billion, up 9% year over year. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.36 billion.Segment-wise, in the reported quarter, the Private Client Group recorded 36% growth in net revenues, Asset Management’s net revenues rose 10% and Capital Markets’ top line jumped 15%. Further, Bank registered a rise of 10% from the prior year's net revenues, while Others recorded a 68% decline in net revenues.Non-interest expenses jumped 10% from the prior-year quarter to $2.85 billion. The increase was due to a rise in all cost components. Our estimate for non-interest expenses was $2.74 billion. Further, RJF recorded bank loan provision for credit losses of $15 million in the reported quarter against a provision benefit of $10 million in the year-ago quarter.As of June 30, 2025, client assets under administration were $1.64 trillion, up 11% from the prior-year quarter. Financial assets under management of $263.2 billion grew 15%. Our estimates for client assets under administration and financial assets under management were $1.57 trillion and $248 billion, respectively.RJF’s Balance Sheet & Capital Ratios StrongAs of June 30, 2025, Raymond James had total assets of $84.82 billion, up 2% from the prior quarter. Total equity was stable at $12.18 billion.Book value per share was $60.90, up from $54.08 as of June 30, 2024.As of June 30, 2025, the total capital ratio was 24.3% compared with 23.6% as of June 30, 2024. The Tier 1 capital ratio was 23% compared with 22.2% as of June 2024-end.Return on common equity (annualized basis) was 14.3% at the end of the reported quarter compared with 17.8% a year ago.Update on Raymond James’ Share RepurchasesIn the reported quarter, RJF repurchased shares for $451 million at an average price of $137 per share.As of June 30, 2025, $749 million remained available under the repurchase authorization.Our View on Raymond JamesRaymond James’ global diversification efforts, strategic acquisitions and relatively high rates are expected to support top-line growth. Also, a rebound in the capital markets business is positive. However, elevated operating expenses and the current uncertain operating backdrop due to tariff-related headwinds are major concerns. Raymond James Financial, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Raymond James Financial, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Raymond James Financial, Inc. QuoteCurrently, Raymond James carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Performance of RJF’s PeersMorgan Stanley’s MS second-quarter 2025 earnings of $2.13 per share handily outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.93. The bottom line also rose 17% from the prior-year quarter.Results benefited from a solid performance of the trading business and a rise in net interest income. Further, the performance of wealth management and investment management businesses was impressive. However, higher expenses and provisions, as well as subdued IB business, were the headwinds for MS. Jefferies Financial Group’s JEF second-quarter fiscal 2025 (ended May 31) adjusted earnings of 43 cents per share matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The bottom line compared unfavorably with the prior-year quarter’s earnings of 67 cents per share. Results were aided by strong performance in equity trading. However, weak performances in underwriting and asset management businesses, and higher expenses were the undermining factors for JEF.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Morgan Stanley (MS): Free Stock Analysis Report Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF): Free Stock Analysis Report Raymond James Financial, Inc. 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