Broker Fees for U.S. Stock Trading Fell to Lowest Since 2006

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U.S. securities firms received the lowest commissions from equities trading since 2006 amid a fifth straight year of outflows from stock funds and the worst returns during the bull market that began in 2009.

The industry split $10.9 billion in fees last year from asset managers, down 6 percent from 2010, according to data compiled by Greenwich Associates. Survey respondents told the Stamford, Connecticut-based research firm that they expect the fees they pay U.S. brokers to buy or sell equity securities to increase to $11.4 billion in 2012. The increase projected a year ago failed to materialize, Greenwich Associates said.