Core Viewpoint - U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the establishment of a secondary listing venue for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Dallas, calling it an "unbelievably" bad decision for New York and a significant test for the new Mayor [6]. Group 1: Company Developments - Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of NYSE, announced the addition of Texas as a venue for a secondary listing, which officially opened for business in early 2025 [6]. - NYSE Texas has already seen 10 companies, including Halliburton and Trump Media & Technology Group, dual list on the Dallas-based exchange within the first three months of its operation [6]. Group 2: Industry Implications - The move to establish a secondary listing in Dallas raises concerns about the potential impact on New York's financial prominence, as highlighted by Trump's remarks [6]. - The decision reflects a broader trend of companies seeking alternative listing venues, which could influence the competitive landscape of stock exchanges in the U.S. [6].

Group 1: ServiceNow, Inc. - ServiceNow, Inc. is distinguishing itself from other software companies, according to Malcolm Ethridge, managing partner at Capital Area Planning Group [1] - authID Inc. announced a new identity verification integration with ServiceNow to enhance security for contact centers amid rising fraud risks [1] Group 2: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. - Bill Baruch, founder & president of Blue Line Capital, expressed a favorable view on Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. [2] - TD Cowen analyst Bill Katz maintained a Buy rating on Intercontinental Exchange and raised the price target from $175 to $193 [2] Group 3: Apollo Global Management, Inc. - Apollo Global Management led a $3.5 billion financing package for Valor Compute Infrastructure, which will support a $5.4 billion acquisition and lease of data-center infrastructure [3] - The financing will include Nvidia's GB200 GPUs for a subsidiary of Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, aimed at supporting ongoing model training and the development of its AI chatbot, Grok [4] - Apollo Global Management shares increased by 0.1% to close at $144.15 [5]

Investment Environment - L1 Capital International Fund's fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter emphasizes the importance of valuation analysis for AI-focused investments, indicating that mere conviction in AI is insufficient for successful outcomes [1] - The year 2025 was characterized as a strong year for global stock markets, with the fund returning 2.2% net of fees, compared to 2.5% for the MSCI World Net Total Return Index in AUD [1] Fund Performance - For the year 2025, the fund achieved a return of 9.8% net of fees, while the benchmark index returned 12.4% [1] Company Focus: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) - Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) is highlighted as a long-term holding and remains a top 10 position in the fund, despite facing share price pressure due to AI-related concerns [3] - The stock of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) experienced a one-month return of 8.04% and a 52-week gain of 15.12%, closing at $172.94 per share with a market capitalization of $98.995 billion on January 14, 2026 [2] - The share price of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) has recovered 15% from recent lows, indicating resilience despite market pressures [3] Hedge Fund Interest - Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) was held by 82 hedge fund portfolios at the end of the third quarter, a slight decrease from 84 in the previous quarter, suggesting a stable interest among hedge funds [4] - While acknowledging the potential of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) as an investment, the company believes that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [4]

Group 1 - The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) cocoa futures in New York fell nearly 6%, reaching $5,131 per ton [1]

Company Overview - Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) is a leading financial services company that operates global financial exchanges, clearing houses, and associated technology and data services, with a market cap of $94.7 billion [1] Earnings Expectations - ICE is set to announce its Q4 2025 earnings report on February 5, with analysts expecting an EPS of $1.68, reflecting a 10.5% increase from $1.52 in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year 2025, ICE is projected to report an EPS of $6.93, which is a 14.2% increase from $6.07 in 2024, and an EPS of $7.53 is expected for fiscal 2026, indicating an 8.7% year-over-year growth [3] Recent Performance - In Q3 2025, ICE reported net revenues of approximately $2.4 billion, marking a 3% year-over-year increase, while adjusted EPS was $1.71, about 10% higher than Q3 2024 [5] - Following the Q3 earnings release, ICE's stock experienced a decline of 1.4% on October 30 and 1.5% on October 31, as investors reacted to a slight revenue miss despite the EPS beat [5] Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a consensus "Strong Buy" rating for ICE, with 12 out of 16 analysts recommending a "Strong Buy," one suggesting a "Moderate Buy," and three advising a "Hold" [6] - The mean price target for ICE is $191.53, indicating a potential upside of 15.2% from current price levels [6] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, ICE's stock has gained 15%, compared to a 14% increase in the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) and a 19.2% return in the S&P 500 Index [4]

Core Insights - Mike Selig has recently assumed the role of chairman at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is restructuring the agency with a new innovation committee focused on cryptocurrency insiders [1][2] Group 1: Innovation Committee Formation - The new Innovation Advisory Committee will include executives from prominent crypto firms such as Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, Crypto.com, and Bullish, which is the parent company of CoinDesk [2] - The committee's formation builds on a previous initiative by former Acting Chairman Caroline Pham, who had assembled a group of CEOs focused on innovative financial technology [2][3] Group 2: Committee Objectives and Leadership Vision - Selig emphasized the importance of modernizing financial systems through technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing, aiming to create regulations that are suitable for the evolving financial landscape [4] - The Innovation Advisory Committee will assist the CFTC in drafting new market structure regulations, becoming one of five external committees designed to guide the agency based on members' expertise [4] Group 3: Public Engagement and Future Steps - The CFTC is inviting the public to submit additional nominees for committee membership and suggest topics for consideration, with a deadline set for the end of January [5]

Group 1 - The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) agricultural futures saw a majority decline in closing prices on January 8, with raw sugar futures down by 0.13% to 14.96 cents per pound [1] - Cotton futures decreased by 0.69%, closing at 64.40 cents per pound [1] - Cocoa futures experienced an increase of 1.17%, reaching $5,984.00 per ton [1] - Coffee futures fell by 0.75%, ending at 372.65 cents per pound [1]

Group 1 - The Intercontinental Exchange will extend its daily trading hours for European gas and power contracts by February 23 [1]

Group 1 - The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) agricultural futures saw most contracts rise on January 6, with raw sugar futures increasing by 0.20% to 14.76 cents per pound [1] - Cotton futures rose by 0.76% to 65.14 cents per pound [1] - Cocoa futures declined by 1.45% to $5,989.00 per ton [1] - Coffee futures surged by 3.55% to 372.10 cents per pound [1]

Core Viewpoint - Raymond James raised its price target on Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) to $211.00 from $210.00, maintaining a Strong Buy rating, indicating confidence in the company's performance ahead of its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings [1] Group 1: Earnings and Trading Volumes - Futures trading volumes returned to growth during the quarter after a seasonal slowdown in the summer months, suggesting a rebound in trading activity [1] - The firm remains constructive on ICE, anticipating long-term benefits from the globalization of energy trading markets [1] Group 2: Financial Performance and Valuation - ICE's diversified platform is capable of generating attractive revenue and earnings growth across a wide range of market conditions, highlighting its resilience [2] - Shares are trading at approximately 22 times the firm's 2026 non-GAAP EPS estimate, with Raymond James describing the stock's risk-reward profile as favorable [2]