MarketAxess Hits $1T in Credit Trades in 2Q25, But FPM Slips

Core Insights - MarketAxess Holdings Inc. achieved over $1 trillion in total credit trading volume in Q2 2025, marking a historic milestone for the company with a 20% year-over-year increase [1][9] - The rates trading business also reached a new high of $2 trillion in total volume for the quarter, reflecting a 55% increase from the previous year [1][9] Trading Performance - High-yield and Eurobonds credit businesses experienced 25% year-over-year growth [2] - Emerging markets saw a 20% increase in average daily volume (ADV) compared to the same period last year [2] - Agency and other government bonds in rates trading surged by 81%, while U.S. government bonds grew by 54% [2] Transaction Fees - Total credit average transaction fees per million (FPM) declined by 7% year-over-year due to protocol mix [3] - Total rates FPM fell by 12% as a result of changes in product mix [3] Market Demand - The total trading ADV was recorded at $49 billion, up 43% year-over-year, indicating strong demand for MarketAxess's electronic trading services [4] - The estimated market share of U.S. credit portfolio trading increased to 17.5%, up from 15.1% a year ago [4] Strategic Developments - MarketAxess is diversifying beyond core fixed-income trading, including acquiring a majority stake in RFQ-hub Holdings LLC [5] - The company launched the first fully electronic trading workflow for Indian Government Bonds accessible to Foreign Portfolio Investors [5] Peer Comparison - CME Group is set to launch CME FX Tape+, aiming to provide an unbiased view of the FX market [6] - Intercontinental Exchange acquired the American Financial Exchange to complement its global index business and mortgage technology network [7] Valuation and Estimates - MarketAxess shares have declined by 1.8% year-to-date, contrasting with the industry's growth of 21.1% [8] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for MarketAxess is 27.86X, higher than the industry average [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Q2 2025 earnings suggests an 11.1% year-over-year rise, with a full-year earnings prediction of a 2.9% increase [12]