(Reuters) - Asset and wealth manager Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) posted a more than two-fold jump in second-quarter profit on Wednesday, thanks to higher fee income and an accounting gain of $878.4 million from a stock exchange deal with Visa (NYSE:V).
Hopes of a soft landing for the U.S. economy and investor frenzy around artificial intelligence have lifted the stock market to record highs this year, leading to a spurt in Northern's assets under custody.
Trust, investment and other servicing fees rose 6%, to $1.17 billion, driven by a 14% jump in assets under custody or administration to $16.57 trillion.
Fees earned from managing and servicing client assets are the biggest source of revenue for the 135-year old company. Northern provides wealth management, asset management and banking services to institutions, affluent families and individuals.
State Street (NYSE:STT) and BNY, which posted results last week, also saw rising client asset values boosting their fee-based incomes.
Chicago, Illinois-based Northern also benefited from a plan to exchange some of its Class B shares in Visa, the world's largest payment network.
Meanwhile, Northern's net interest income - the difference between what it earns on assets and pays out on liabilities - rose 2%, to $522.9 million on a reported basis, driven by higher client deposits. Its NII is highly sensitive to deposit levels and largely driven by client deposit behavior.
Foreign exchange trading income surged 17%, to $58.4 million, driven by higher client volumes.
Northern's earnings allocated to common and potential common shares rose to $884.3 million, or $4.34 per share, in the three months ended June 30, from $323.7 million, or $1.56 per share, a year earlier.
Shares of the company have risen 7.6% so far this year, compared to a 9.5% and 24.9% jump, respectively, for peers State Street and BNY.