Operating Expenses

Professional fees

Northern Trust Professional fees decreased by 4.6% to $236.70M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 3.5%, from $245.20M to $236.70M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Professional fees shows an upward trend with a 3.9% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026

How to read this metric

An increase often signals heightened regulatory scrutiny, major transformation projects, or legal challenges, whereas a decrease suggests stable operations.

Detailed definition

This metric includes payments made to third-party legal, accounting, consulting, and advisory firms for specialized serv...

Peer comparison

Standard line item across all public companies; high levels relative to peers can indicate complex litigation or aggressive restructuring.

Metric ID: professional_fees

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$218.10M$210.70M$224.20M$213.40M$213.10M$220.90M$232.90M$210.80M$230.90M$229.60M$235.20M$229.30M$260.90M$256.30M$251.50M$245.20M$247.00M$248.20M$248.10M$236.70M
QoQ Change-3.4%+6.4%-4.8%-0.1%+3.7%+5.4%-9.5%+9.5%-0.6%+2.4%-2.5%+13.8%-1.8%-1.9%-2.5%+0.7%+0.5%-0.0%-4.6%
YoY Change-2.3%+4.8%+3.9%-1.2%+8.4%+3.9%+1.0%+8.8%+13.0%+11.6%+6.9%+6.9%-5.3%-3.2%-1.4%-3.5%
Range$210.70M$260.90M
CAGR+1.7%
Avg YoY Growth+3.3%
Median YoY Growth+3.9%
Current Streak2 quarters decline

Business Segments

View all
SegmentQ1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Asset Servicing Segment$58.70M$43.90M$24.00M$0.00$29.80M
Wealth Management Segment$14.40M$17.00M$14.00M$16.00M$11.00M
Total$245.20M$247.00M$248.20M$248.10M$236.70M

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Northern Trust's professional fees?
Northern Trust (NTRS) reported professional fees of $236.70M in Q1 2026.
How has Northern Trust's professional fees changed year-over-year?
Northern Trust's professional fees decreased by 3.5% year-over-year, from $245.20M to $236.70M.
What is the long-term trend for Northern Trust's professional fees?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Northern Trust's professional fees has grown at a 3.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $849.40M to $988.50M.
What does professional fees mean?
The total expenditure on external legal, consulting, and professional advisory services.