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E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation Issues 2005 Earnings Guidance, Announces Repurchase Program and Reports November Activity

     -  Established 2005 GAAP EPS guidance of $0.93 - $1.08 per share on Total
        Net Revenue of $1.6 billion - $1.8 billion

     -  Announced an additional $200 million repurchase program

     -  In November, Retail DARTs increased 23.3 percent from October,
        Professional DARTs increased 8.0 percent and Total DARTs increased
        17.6 percent

     -  Total assets and deposits in customer accounts increased 5.6 percent
        to $93.6 billion

     -  Month-end margin debt balances increased 4.7 percent to $2.12 billion

    NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation
(NYSE: ET) today established 2005 GAAP EPS guidance of $0.93 - $1.08 on Total
Net Revenue of $1.6 billion - $1.8 billion.  The Company's Board of Directors
approved an additional $200 million dollar repurchase program.  The plan is
effective immediately, not subject to a specific end date and provides the
flexibility to buy back common stock, retire debt or a combination of both. In
addition to this program, the Company has $49 million remaining in its active
program originally announced in April 2004, for total outstanding repurchase
authorizations of $249 million.  The Company may conduct these repurchases on
the open market, in private transactions or a combination of both.
    "2005 will be a year of innovation, reinvestment and growth.  We have
built a differentiated and compelling franchise," said Mitchell H. Caplan,
Chief Executive Officer, E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation.  "The Company is
positioned to deliver segment income growth ranging from 20 to 40 percent,
while at the same time making significant investments in functionality,
service, price and marketing."
    The Company also reported that monthly US and International Daily Average
Revenue Trades (DARTs) increased 25.4 percent and 12.7 percent sequentially in
November, for an increase in Retail DARTs of 23.3 percent.  Additionally,
Professional DARTs increased 8.0 percent resulting in a 17.6 percent increase
in Total DARTs.  Margin debt balances increased 4.7 percent sequentially to
$2.12 billion at month end.

     2005 GAAP Earnings Guidance

     Key Driver Assumptions               2005 Estimates
                                            Low    High
    Total DARTs (in thousands)              135     150
    Average margin debt ($B)               $2.0    $2.2
    Average commission per revenue trade  $9.30   $9.70
    Direct mortgage originations ($B)      $3.0    $3.5
    Consumer loan originations, incl.
     HELOCs ($B)                           $2.5    $3.0
    Average interest rate spread
     (basis points)                         220     233
    Average interest earning assets ($B)    $27     $28


    Net revenues ($MM)                                     Estimated Annual
                                                           Growth Rate (1)
    Brokerage                            $1,000  $1,138
    Banking                                $673    $735
    Intercompany elimination               $(73)   $(73)
    Total net revenues                   $1,600  $1,800        5 - 19%

    Total expenses excluding interest    $1,070  $1,170        0 - 10%
    Segment income (2)                     $530    $630       17 - 39%
    Consolidated operating margin (3)       33%     35%      300 - 500 bps

    Total other income                      $24     $24

    Effective tax rate                      36%     36%

    Net income                             $355    $419
    GAAP EPS                              $0.93   $1.08

    Average diluted shares
     outstanding (MM)                       382     387

    (1) Based on consensus 2004 earnings from continuing operations of $0.89.
    (2) Income before other income, income taxes and discontinued operations.
    (3) Income before other income, income taxes and discontinued operations
        divided by total net revenues.


     Points of Operating Leverage

    Metric                                      Annual Contribution (5)
                                                      (Estimated)
    Additional 10,000 DARTs                               $0.05
    Increase margin debt by $500 million                  $0.04
    Grow bank balance sheet by $1 billion                 $0.04
    Improve bank spread by 10 bps (4)                     $0.05
    Bank spread increase on $1 billion of
     additional sweep balances                           10 bps

    (4) Based on assumed average interest earning assets of $27 billion
        to $28 billion.
    (5) Earnings per share except increase in sweep balances.


    Monthly Activity Data

                                                                     Q404 QTD*
                                                                         vs.
                                           Nov-04               Qtr      Qtr
                                             vs.      Q404     Ended    Ended
                       Nov-04     Oct-04   Oct-04     QTD*    9/30/04  9/30/04

    Trading days        20.5       21.0     N.M.      41.5       64.0    N.M.

    Daily Average
     Revenue Trades
     (DARTs)
    Retail            95,122     77,117    23.3%    86,011     62,771   37.0%
      US              81,306     64,856    25.4%    72,982     53,050   37.6%
      International   13,816     12,261    12.7%    13,029      9,721   34.0%
    Professional      49,675     45,995     8.0%    47,813     34,633   38.1%
    Total DARTs      144,797    123,112    17.6%   133,824     97,404   37.4%

    Market Making
    Equity shares
     traded (MM)      14,585     30,871  (52.8)%    45,456     65,037 (30.1)%
    Average revenue
     capture per 1,000
     equity shares    $0.527     $0.217   142.9%    $0.316     $0.234   35.0%

    Gross New Accounts
    Brokerage         42,260     58,466     N.M.   100,726    105,870    N.M.
    Banking           10,341     19,643     N.M.    29,984     60,998    N.M.
    Total gross new
     accounts         52,601     78,109     N.M.   130,710    166,868    N.M.

    Active Accounts
    Brokerage      2,936,591  2,921,776     0.5% 2,936,591  2,895,106    1.4%
    Banking          630,942    637,540   (1.0)%   630,942    632,328  (0.2)%
    Total active
     accounts end
     of period     3,567,533  3,559,316     0.2% 3,567,533  3,527,434    1.1%

    End of period
     margin debt ($MM)$2,115     $2,021     4.7%    $2,115     $2,042    3.6%

    Total Assets/
     Deposits ($MM)
    Total client
     assets in
     investing
     accounts        $81,393    $76,590     6.3%   $81,393    $71,399   14.0%
    Total deposits
     in banking
     accounts        $12,244    $12,052     1.6%   $12,244    $12,027    1.8%
    Total assets/
     deposits in
     customer
     accounts        $93,637    $88,642     5.6%   $93,637    $83,426   12.2%

    Loan Originations
     ($MM)
    Direct mortgage
     originations       $244       $238     2.5%      $482       $646 (25.4)%
    Consumer loan
     originations,
     incl HELOCs        $179       $189   (5.3)%      $368       $563 (34.6)%

    *Q404 quarter-to-date (QTD) includes results for the two months ended
November 30, 2004

    Historical monthly metric data from January 2003 to November 2004 can be
found on the E*TRADE FINANCIAL investor relations site at http://www.etrade.com.

    About E*TRADE FINANCIAL
    The E*TRADE FINANCIAL family of companies provide financial services
including brokerage, banking and lending for retail, corporate and
institutional customers.  Securities products and services are offered by
E*TRADE Securities LLC (Member NASD/SIPC).  Bank and lending products and
services are offered by E*TRADE Bank, a Federal savings bank, Member FDIC, or
its subsidiaries.

    Important Notice
    E*TRADE FINANCIAL and the E*TRADE FINANCIAL logo is a registered trademark
or trademark of E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation. The statements contained in
this news release that are forward-looking are based on current expectations
that are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results
may differ materially. The uncertainties and risks include, but are not
limited to, changes in market activity, anticipated increases in the rate of
new customer acquisition, the conversion of new visitors to the site to
customers, seasonality, the development of new products and services, the
enhancement of existing products and services, competitive pressures
(including price competition), system failures, economic and political
conditions, changes in consumer behavior and the introduction of competing
products having technological and/or other advantages. Further information
about these risks and uncertainties can be found in the information included
in the annual reports previously filed by E*TRADE Group, Inc. or E*TRADE
FINANCIAL Corporation with the SEC on Form 10-K (including information under
the caption "Risk Factors") and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

    E*TRADE FINANCIAL Media Contact
     Pam Erickson
     E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation
     617-296-6080
     pam.erickson@etrade.com

     E*TRADE FINANCIAL Investor Relations Contact
     Adam Townsend
     E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation
     703-236-8719
     adam.townsend@etrade.com


SOURCE E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation




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  • http://www.etrade.com
    CONTACT:
    media, Pam Erickson, +1-617-296-6080, or
    pam.erickson@etrade.com, or investors, Adam Townsend,
    +1-703-236-8719, or adam.townsend@etrade.com, both for E*TRADE
    FINANCIAL Corporation