ICE's fourth quarter 2025 earnings release and presentation can be found in the investor section of ice.com. You will find a reconciliation to the equivalent GAAP term in the earnings materials. When used on this call, net revenue refers to revenue net of transaction-based expenses. Throughout this presentation, unless otherwise indicated, references to revenue growth are on a constant currency basis.

Please see the explanatory notes on the second page of the earnings supplement for additional details regarding the definition of certain items. I'll begin on slide 4 with our exceptional full year 2025 results, which demonstrate the strength of our diversified business model and the consistency of our execution. We delivered record adjusted earnings per share of $6.95, a 14% increase year-over-year, marking the best performance in our company's history. These results drove record adjusted operating income of $6 billion, up 9% year-over-year, demonstrating the quality and scalability of our business model.

Turning to capital allocation, our record operating performance generated $4.2 billion of, in adjusted free cash flow, which we deployed strategically to enhance shareholder value. This balanced approach reflects our confidence in both our core operations and our ability to capitalize on future growth opportunities. Fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share totaled $1.71, up 13% versus the prior year. Fourth quarter net revenues of $2.5 billion increased 7% year-over-year, with transaction revenues growing 8%, and recurring revenues advancing 6%.

What went well
  • Full-year 2025 was a record: adjusted EPS of $6.95 rose 14%, net revenues reached a record $9.9 billion (up 6%), adjusted operating income was a record $6 billion (up 9%), and adjusted free cash flow was $4.2 billion.
  • Fourth quarter adjusted EPS of $1.71 rose 13% on net revenues of $2.5 billion (up 7%), with transaction revenue up 8% and recurring revenue up 6%.
  • The Exchanges segment delivered record fourth quarter net revenues of $1.4 billion (up 9%), with record recurring revenue of $391 million (up 11%); January volumes hit a record, up 23% year-over-year.
  • Black Knight expense synergies exited the year at an annualized ~$230 million, above the $200 million target, and management raised the total synergy goal to $275 million by 2028; mortgage revenue synergies nearly doubled to about $100 million.
  • The NYSE facilitated $25 billion in new IPO capital, welcomed 71 new operating companies including 7 of the top 10 IPOs, kept retention above 99%, and won the largest transfer in NYSE history with AstraZeneca.
  • ICE repurchased $1.3 billion of stock, raised its dividend 6%, and reduced leverage from 3.3x at year-end 2024 to 3.0x; FIDS recurring revenue was a record $507 million and the index business ended the year at a record $794 billion in ETF AUM.
What went wrong
  • Within ICE Bonds, continued growth in municipal bond revenue was offset by lower retail, corporate and treasury activity.
  • CDS clearing strength was offset by lower member interest income following the FOMC's 2025 rate reductions.
  • Some mortgage customer renewals came in at lower minimums, and 2026 mortgage growth guidance factored in previously disclosed client attrition related to certain 2025 M&A activity.
  • Only about 40% of global IPOs met the NYSE's listing standards in 2025, and 2026 opex guidance of 4%-5% growth included roughly $25 million of accelerated stock-based compensation.

More on Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Reported 2026-02-05 · figures from the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. Q4 2025 earnings call.

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