(Updates with Charles Schwab data, share prices.)

 
   DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Knight Capital Group Inc.'s (NITE) July trading volume slipped 3.6% from June but surged from a year earlier, while Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) reported a 7.6% drop from June.

Investors have been drawn back into the market lately as the major stock indexes have strengthened.

Average daily trading volume handled by Schwab fell 7.6% in July from June to 291,100, which was down 14% from a year earlier. Schwab said total client assets were up 5% from June to $1.29 trillion, down 7.6% from a year earlier. Net new assets in July totaled $5.6 billion, matching the year-to-date average.

The company had 58,000 new brokerage accounts, down 3.3% from June and 9.4% from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, average daily U.S. stock trade volume handled by Knight Capital jumped 52% in July from a year earlier. The number of shares in the orders fell 12% from June but soared 94% from a year earlier. Average daily dollar volume was flat from the prior month and up 12% on the year.

Chairman and Chief Executive Thomas Joyce said July saw the return of a summer slowdown amid declines in stock-market volumes and volatility. "Despite market-share gains and the addition of new clients, Knight experienced comparable decreases in equity share volumes across the board," he said.

Knight Capital's results have been boosted in recent months by higher volumes, particularly as its global-markets business gains market share. Many stock-trading firms saw volume gains even as stocks were heading lower last year, as investors generally fled positions, leading to market volatility.

Knight Capital's shares closed Friday at $18.52 and haven't traded premarket, while Schwab's were recently up 2 cents at $18.63.

-By Kerry Grace Benn, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2353; kerry.benn@dowjones.com