NEW YORK, May 14 NY-Investools-April08
NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Investools Inc. (Nasdaq: SWIM),
a leading provider of brokerage services and investor education, announced
performance metrics for April 2008. Records were established for new accounts
opened, new funded accounts and client assets, substantiating the Company's
strategic emphasis on brokerage services as its core business. The Company
recently announced its decision to adopt thinkorswim Group Inc. as its
corporate identity, repositioning investor education as a customer acquisition
model designed to accelerate the more profitable growth in its brokerage
services business.
"thinkorswim's April results set new records in account openings, funded
accounts and client assets demonstrating the strong appeal of our technology
and customer service model to the retail options trader," said Lee K. Barba,
Chairman and CEO of Investools Inc. "We continue to integrate our investor
education content with our trading platforms to support the outstanding
performance of thinkorswim while making the changes to our cost structure that
align our priorities with the interests of long-term investors."
thinkorswim, Inc.
-- New accounts opened* of 10,050. Total accounts opened* of 159,025; 123%
higher than April 2007
-- New funded accounts of 4,700; 33% higher than April 2007
-- Funded accounts of 71,175 at month-end; 114% higher than April 2007
-- Retail DARTs of 48,400; 162% higher than April 2007
-- Active Trader DARTs of 46,400; 110% higher than April 2007
-- Client assets of $2.88 billion at month-end; 88% higher than April 2007
Investor Education Group
-- Total paid graduates of 3,860, compared to 3,350 in April 2007
-- Active subscribers at month-end of 105,700, compared to 91,000 in April
2007
* accounts opened represents accounts that have initiated the application
process with the intent to fund.
The number of new accounts opened, new funded accounts and total paid
graduates were in excess of the preliminary April metrics cited on the
Company's first quarter earnings call.
About Investools (Nasdaq: SWIM)
Investools Inc. offers market-leading online brokerage, investor education
and related financial products and services for self-directed investors and
active traders. thinkorswim Inc., our industry-leading online brokerage
division and financial technology pioneer, provides a suite of trading
platforms to active, self-directed traders, high-net worth individuals,
beginning investors, and institutional traders and money managers. thinkorswim
customers trade a broad range of products including stock and stock options,
index options, futures and futures options, forex, mutual funds and fixed
income. thinkorswim platforms have easy-to-use interfaces, sophisticated
analytical and research tools, and fast and efficient order execution for even
the most complex trading strategies. Investools' Education Group offers a full
range of investor education products and services that provide lifelong
learning in a variety of interactive delivery formats, including instructor-
led synchronous and asynchronous online courses, in-person workshops, online
coaching programs and telephone, live-chat and email support. Investools'
graduates can then apply what they've learned by trading with thinkorswim's
online brokerage platforms.
Safe Harbor
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-
looking statements may be identified by words such as "believe," "intend,"
"expect," "may," "could," "would," "will," "should," "plan," or similar
statements. All forward-looking statements are based largely on current
expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future events that are
subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to: general changes in economic conditions and
changes in conditions affecting the financial services industry specifically,
regulatory developments that affect the way we market or sell our products and
services, our inability to protect our proprietary technology, our ability to
sell existing products and services in both new and existing markets, and
other factors which are more fully described in Investools filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, actual results may vary in material aspects from
those currently anticipated. The forward-looking statements made in this
press release relate only to events as of the date of this release. We
undertake no ongoing obligation to update these statements.
Investor Contact:
Ida Kane, SVP and CFO
801.816.6918
ida.kane@investools.com
Frank Milano
203.682.8343
frank.milano@icrinc.com
Media Contact:
Fran Del Valle
212.717.5499
frances.delvalle@influencecentral.com
SOURCE Investools Inc.
