Charles Schwab to buy ThomasPartners

Charles Schwab Corp said on Monday it will acquire dividend income-focused asset management firm ThomasPartners Inc in a deal that includes an upfront payment of $85 million as the brokerage anticipates growing demand for income-oriented investment strategies.

Schwab said the deal, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter, should be neutral to its earnings per share in the first 12 months of closing, and add modestly to earnings in the following year.

"With more than four million baby boomers entering retirement age each year in the United States ... a rapidly growing segment of investors and investment advisors are focusing on producing income within their investment portfolios," Schwab Chief Executive Walt Bettinger said in a statement.

Wellesley, Massachusetts-based ThomasPartners managed $2.3 billion in assets as of September 30, in largely growth-oriented investment portfolios designed to generate dividend income streams.

San Francisco-based Schwab said that in addition to the $85 million cash payment for ThomasPartners, there was the possibility of future payments based on future growth in assets under management.

(Reporting By John McCrank; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)