RJ
RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL INC (RJF)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Net revenues were $3.40B, up 9% y/y but down 4% q/q; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.42 and GAAP diluted EPS $2.36, with pre-tax margin at 19.7% as investment banking activity slowed amid tariff-related macro volatility and fewer billing days .
- Consensus for Q2 2025 EPS was ~$2.44 vs actual adjusted $2.42; revenue consensus ~$3.42B vs actual $3.40B — a slight miss on both; prior quarter EPS beat while revenue was near consensus* [GetEstimates].
- Segments: PCG net revenues $2.49B (+6% y/y; -2% q/q), Capital Markets $396M (+23% y/y; -18% q/q), Asset Management $289M (+15% y/y; -2% q/q), Bank $434M (+2% y/y; +2% q/q) .
- Management reiterated strong recruiting and robust IB pipeline, resumed share repurchases ($250M in Q2; $190M more in April) and signaled a $400–$500M quarterly buyback run-rate absent acquisitions — a potential near-term sentiment catalyst .
- Outlook: Asset management fees and spread revenues guided roughly flat sequentially for Q3; effective tax rate ~25% for FY25; non-comp expenses ~$2.1B, continuing disciplined investment in technology .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Asset-based businesses delivered: Asset Management net revenues $289M (+15% y/y) and pre-tax income $121M (+21% y/y) on higher AUM and fee-based inflows .
- Bank segment stable: Net interest margin expanded to 2.67% (+7 bps q/q), with record net loans $48.3B and strong credit metrics (criticized loans 1.14% of loans) .
- Capital deployment: Repurchased $250M in Q2 at $146/share and $190M in April at $125/share; management indicated a $400–$500M quarterly buyback target absent deals .
- Quote: “Our strong balance sheet… should help us navigate this period from a position of strength.” — CEO Paul Shoukry .
What Went Wrong
- Investment banking softness: IB revenues $207M, -35% q/q as macro uncertainty and tariff negotiations delayed closings; Capital Markets net revenues fell 18% q/q .
- Fewer billing days and higher tax rate affected sequential results: Asset management fees dipped (~1% q/q), effective tax rate rose to 26.2% (vs 19.9% prior quarter) impacting net income .
- Sweep balances down seasonally: Clients’ domestic cash sweep & ESP balances decreased 3% q/q to $57.8B due to fee billings/tax timing; RJBDP third-party yield fell to 3.00% with rate cuts .
Financial Results
Segment net revenues and pre-tax income:
Key KPIs:
Results vs Wall Street Consensus (S&P Global):
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Financial advisor recruiting activity remains strong… The investment banking pipeline remains robust… Our strong balance sheet… should help us navigate this period from a position of strength.” — CEO Paul Shoukry .
- “We established [a] dedicated [AI] function… goal of deploying it to help our financial professionals serve their clients more effectively and efficiently… rolled out an in-house proprietary AI search tool.” — CEO Paul Shoukry .
- “Our current plan is to continue repurchasing shares on a more consistent basis, likely at an amount greater than the $250 million we repurchased in the fiscal second quarter.” — CEO Paul Shoukry .
- “Based on current interest rates and quarter end balances… we would expect [aggregate of NII and RJBDP third-party fees] to be relatively unchanged in the fiscal third quarter.” — CFO Jonathan Oorlog .
- “For the fiscal year 2025 we estimate our effective tax rate… approximately 25%.” — CFO Jonathan Oorlog .
Q&A Highlights
- Recruiting and NNA: Pipelines improved through March/April; large teams across channels; minimal attrition vs prior quarters; optimism for H2 net new assets .
- Loan Demand & CECL: Corporate loan demand tepid amid volatility; SBL growth robust (>$600M in Q2); tariff-related macro changes to be reflected in Q3 provision via CECL models .
- Capital return: Management articulated a $400–$500M quarterly buyback run-rate to keep ratios from building; flexibility to dial down if loan growth/M&A accelerates .
- Spread revenues: Guide for NII + RJBDP fees flat sequentially on spot balances; deposit beta dynamics differ across ESP (near 100%) vs sweep products (lower) .
- Non-comp expenses: Still tracking to ~$2.1B for FY25, with H2 ramp for communications/IT and technology investments; variable components move with revenues .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025: EPS consensus ~$2.44 vs actual adjusted $2.42 (slight miss); revenue consensus ~$3.42B vs actual $3.40B (slight miss)*.
- Q1 2025: EPS beat (~$2.69 vs $2.93 actual) while revenue was near consensus; Q4 2024 saw notable beats on both revenue and EPS versus consensus*.
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Revenue/EPS modestly below consensus on timing of IB closings, fewer billing days, and higher tax rate; watch tariff-related macro for IB recovery timing .
- Asset-based engines remain resilient: AUM/AUA elevated, Asset Management growing double-digits y/y, and PCG fee-based assets stable despite volatility .
- Bank NIM inflecting higher with mix shift and lower-cost deposits; record loan balances anchored by SBL support spread revenue stability into Q3 .
- Capital deployment is a positive catalyst: resumed buybacks with an indicated $400–$500M quarterly run-rate, alongside ample capital (Tier 1 leverage 13.3%) .
- Guidance implies steadier Q3 fundamentals (flat AM fees and spread revenues); model effective tax rate ~25% and non-comp ~$2.1B amid ongoing tech investment .
- Near-term narrative drivers: IB activity normalization, recruiting momentum translating into NNA acceleration, and AI/tech enhancements improving adviser productivity .
- Dividend maintained at $0.50 per quarter; continued shareholder returns alongside balance-sheet flexibility .
Notes:
- All company-reported figures and segment data cited from RJF press releases, 8-K exhibits, and the Q2 2025 earnings call transcript.
- Consensus estimates sourced from S&P Global; cells marked with * reflect S&P Global data.