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Earnings Callsⓘ
Q2 2026August 3, 2026
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### At a GlanceICE recorded its best-ever second-quarter performance in Q2 2026 and announced the acquisition of MarketAxess for approximately $5.7 billion, aiming to build a global fixed-income network that integrates retail and institutional liquidity pools. Management believes the transaction will be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share.
Key Data: Adjusted EPS of $1.90 (Q2 record); net revenues of $2.7 billion, up 5% year-over-year; record recurring revenues of $1.4 billion, up 8% year-over-year.
Business Progress: In the exchange business, open interest in interest rate futures and options grew 20% year-over-year, with notional value of European and UK interest rate contracts reaching $62.3 trillion, surpassing the U.S. interest rate market for the first time. Fixed Income & Data Services (FIDS) recurring revenue grew 10%, and ETF assets under management in the index business reached $922 billion, up 29% year-over-year. Mortgage technology transaction revenue grew 11%, and the AI agent (ICE Aurora) has been embedded in Encompass and MSP to automate loan processing and customer service. The company also announced a partnership with Apollo to expand into the private credit market.
Guidance & Outlook: The acquisition of MarketAxess is expected to generate approximately $100 million in annualized cost synergies in the first year, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2027. Full-year FIDS recurring revenue growth guidance was raised to 7%-8% (previously mid-single digits). Q3 adjusted operating expenses are expected to be $1.063 billion to $1.073 billion, and full-year capital expenditures were raised to approximately $850 million. Management expects leverage to return to below 3x within 18-24 months.
Risk/Highlight Signals: Management emphasized that AI is enhancing, rather than diminishing, the value of its data, but energy trading volumes have slowed due to declining volatility. The MarketAxess acquisition faces regulatory approval risks, and integration execution remains uncertain.