Morgan Stanley, whose E-Trade business just posted its highest-volume trading days in years, is ramping up efforts to reach the most-active day traders with a new platform.
“Power E-Trade Pro” allows traders to customize as many as 120 tools across six screens on a desktop application separate from the firm’s current web and mobile products.
The offering, announced Monday, is in a pilot period and set for a full launch in June.
“Our sophisticated trader population is a hugely important group of folks for us,” Jed Finn, Morgan Stanley’s head of wealth management, said in an interview. “We took the most sophisticated active traders in the industry and we said, what do you need to take your game to the next level?”
Morgan Stanley bought E-Trade for $13 billion in 2020, at the time the largest acquisition by a major U.S. bank since the financial crisis.
The move marked a further push into the retail market after then-Chief Executive Officer James Gorman led a pivot to wealth management over his 14-year tenure. Ted Pick, who took over as CEO at the start of last year, has said he plans to continue that strategy.
The new E-Trade platform rivals the likes of Charles Schwab Corp.’s Thinkorswim and Robinhood Markets Inc.’s Legend, and comes as trading volumes soar on volatility tied to President Donald Trump’s policy announcements.
April 4 and April 7 were the two highest-volume days for E-Trade in more than three years, Finn said.
“Retail clients remain engaged,” Morgan Stanley Chief Financial Officer Sharon Yeshaya said earlier this month on a conference call to discuss first-quarter earnings.
“Strong transactional activity, increased unsolicited trading and ongoing migration into fee-based accounts demonstrate client participation and the demand for advice amid heightened volatility,” she added.
Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.