Charles Schwab pauses buyback program amid ‘regulatory uncertainty’

Charles Schwab said earlier in its earnings release, "Maintaining the capital and liquidity required to support Schwab’s long-term growth remains our primary balance sheet objective. We increased our quarterly common dividend by 14% to $.25 per share and returned capital via common and preferred stock repurchases. Even with the accelerated capital return during the first two months of the quarter, our Tier 1 Leverage Ratio finished at 7.1%. In light of recent events within the U.S. banking sector, and the resulting regulatory uncertainty, we have decided to pause our active buyback program. That being said, opportunistic capital return is still an important component of our ‘through the cycle’ financial formula. Ultimately, we believe the current headwinds will prove transitory and we remain well positioned to deliver long-term value to our stockholders."