Group 1 - Total traded volume on the Tradeweb European ETF marketplace reached EUR 62 billion [3]

Summary of MarketAxess (MKTX) Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: MarketAxess (MKTX) - **Industry**: Electronic fixed income trading venue, primarily focused on credit markets, with expansion into new geographies and asset classes [3][3] Key Points and Arguments Strategic Focus Areas - **Execution of Strategy**: Emphasis on providing the right metrics, data, and analytics to enhance business execution [11][11] - **Capital Deployment**: Increased share repurchase authorization leading to $60 million in buybacks in 2025 compared to $24 million in 2024 [14][14][15][15] - **Expense Management**: Focus on good corporate hygiene and expense discipline, including partnerships with technology firms like Pragma to enhance efficiency [16][18] Market Conditions and Performance - **Volatility and Volume Trends**: - April saw high volatility with CVIX at 56 for high grade and 390 for high yield, normalizing to 33 and 190 respectively in May [20][20][24][24] - Elevated trading volumes sustained through May, driven by increased velocity in the market [22][23] - **Market Share**: - High grade market share increased to 19.9% in May from 19.4% in April, indicating growth in investment grade trading [30][34] - Portfolio trading market share has grown to over 20%, with ongoing enhancements to maintain competitiveness [57][60] Innovations and Technology - **Automation and Algorithms**: Introduction of automation tools like AutoX and adaptive algorithms (ADX) to enhance trading efficiency, with 250 clients onboarded [43][45] - **Block Trading Protocols**: Successful early adoption in emerging markets (EM) and Eurobonds, with significant volume increases (116% in Eurobonds and 24% in EM) [49][49] - **Portfolio Trading Enhancements**: Completion of feature set for portfolio trading, focusing on net hedging and benchmark capabilities [59][60] Emerging Markets (EM) Focus - **Growth in EM**: EM is now the largest business segment, with significant contributions from countries like Mexico, Brazil, and South Korea. Year-to-date volumes are up 14% [82][86][89] - **Local vs. Hard Currency**: Hard currency trading constitutes 60% of the EM business, with local currency trading representing 40%, indicating potential for growth in local markets [86][86] Competitive Landscape and Pricing - **Pricing Stability**: Pricing within traditional RFQ and open trading has remained steady, with fluctuations attributed to macroeconomic factors rather than pricing pressure [97][99] - **Protocol Mix**: New protocols like portfolio trading come with lower fee captures, but present opportunities for incremental revenue growth [100][102] Additional Important Insights - **Talent Acquisition**: Ongoing recruitment of key personnel to enhance product development and client solutions, indicating a commitment to innovation and market responsiveness [66][70] - **Client-Centric Approach**: Continuous engagement with clients to understand their needs and enhance service offerings, particularly in the block trading and portfolio trading spaces [50][56][60] This summary encapsulates the critical insights and developments discussed during the MarketAxess conference call, highlighting the company's strategic focus, market performance, technological innovations, and competitive positioning.

Group 1 - At the end of the settlement date of May 30, 2025, short interest in 3,184 Nasdaq Global Market securities totaled 13,504,275,894 shares, a decrease from 13,735,568,588 shares reported for the prior settlement date of May 15, 2025, indicating a decline in short interest [1] - Short interest in 1,632 securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market totaled 2,610,068,615 shares at the end of the settlement date of May 30, 2025, down from 2,731,907,808 shares in the previous reporting period [2] - Overall, short interest in all 4,816 Nasdaq securities totaled 16,114,344,509 shares at the May 30, 2025 settlement date, compared to 16,467,476,396 shares at the end of the previous reporting period, reflecting a decrease in short interest across the board [3] Group 2 - The average daily volume for short interest in the Nasdaq Global Market decreased from 2.41 days to 2.19 days, while the Nasdaq Capital Market maintained an average of 1.00 day [1][2] - The total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers is reflected in the open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security, indicating the level of market sentiment towards these securities [4]

Core Insights - Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ) achieved a 52-week high of $85.72, closing at $85.61, with a 44.3% increase over the past year, outperforming the Finance sector and the Zacks S&P 500 composite but underperforming its industry [1][7]. Performance Comparison - NDAQ outperformed peers such as Cboe Global Markets, Intercontinental Exchange, and CME Group, which gained 29.7%, 33.4%, and 38.1% respectively in the past year [2]. - The company has a market capitalization of $49.15 billion, with an average trading volume of 3.6 million shares over the last three months [2]. Technical Analysis - Nasdaq shares are trading above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages of $77.41 and $77.04, indicating strong upward momentum [5]. Revenue and Growth Projections - For 2025, NDAQ anticipates Capital Access Platforms revenue growth between 5% to 8% and aims for 40-50% of total revenues to come from SaaS [7][19]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share indicates a 13.1% year-over-year increase, with revenues expected to reach $5.05 billion, reflecting an 8.5% improvement [9]. Financial Metrics - Nasdaq's return on equity over the trailing 12 months was 15.38%, surpassing the industry average of 13.93% [15]. - The return on invested capital (ROIC) was 6.8%, better than the industry average of 5.2% [16]. Strategic Focus - The company's growth strategy emphasizes revenue generation from high-growth Market Technology and Investment Intelligence segments, along with expansion in the Anti-Financial Crime sector [17]. - Nasdaq is also focusing on strong growth from its index and analytics businesses, with moderate growth expected in exchange data products [18]. Valuation - Nasdaq shares are trading at a forward price-to-book value of 25.52X, lower than the industry average of 26.18X, indicating they are relatively affordable [8]. Earnings Surprise History - Nasdaq has consistently surpassed earnings estimates in the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 4.75% [11]. Analyst Outlook - The average price target from 18 analysts for NDAQ is $85.94 per share, suggesting a potential upside of 2.31% from the last closing price [12]. Dividend Strategy - Nasdaq has a strong dividend history, with plans to achieve a payout ratio of 35-38% by 2027 [24].

Group 1 - CME Group Inc. has seen a stock price increase of 40% over the past year, reaching an all-time high of $290 [1] - The analysis emphasizes a focus on clear and disciplined breakdown of companies, highlighting the importance of following numbers and underlying business rather than narratives [1]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) with a 12-month price target of $191, indicating an upside of 8.4% from the current price of $176.12 [33] Core Insights - ICE's Energy business is projected to continue its robust growth trajectory, supported by structural tailwinds such as the globalization of natural gas, increasing Brent dominance, and the U.S. administration's push for energy exports [2][4] - The Mortgage segment is showing signs of improvement, with management confident in capturing a larger share of the $14 billion revenue total addressable market (TAM) as industry headwinds diminish [24] - The Fixed Income & Data Services segment is expected to achieve over 5% growth driven by unique data offerings and increasing demand for analytics [29][31] Summary by Sections Energy Business - ICE's Energy revenues are on track for another record year, with over $2 billion in annual revenues, accounting for more than 20% of total revenues and over 25% of operating income [2] - Year-to-date growth in Energy revenues exceeds 20%, following a 25% growth last year and 29% growth in 2023 [2] - The firm anticipates continued growth in LNG and natural gas benchmarks, with TTF volumes up approximately 30% year-to-date [4][15] Mortgage Segment - The mortgage business has undergone significant transformation, with management seeing early signs of idiosyncratic growth that could outweigh broader industry challenges [24] - Recent improvements in origination volumes, with new purchases up 10% year-over-year and refinancing up 50% year-over-year, support a positive near-term outlook [24][27] Fixed Income & Data Services - The Fixed Income segment is experiencing steady growth, driven by demand for unique pricing content and analytics, with the index business contributing over $100 million in revenue [29][31] - Management expects continued growth in fixed income Active ETFs and further integration of unique data sets from the mortgage franchise [31] Data Centers and Connectivity - ICE is expanding its data center capabilities to support future connectivity revenue growth, driven by rising demand from various market participants [32] - The firm operates its private cloud, which is more cost-effective compared to outsourcing, enhancing operational efficiency and easing future M&A integration [32]

Summary of Key Points Core Viewpoint - The Q1 2025 earnings season for S&P 500 companies has been largely positive, with several companies, including Palantir, Cboe Global Markets, and Eaton, reporting record results, driven by strong demand and positive guidance for future growth [1][15]. Group 1: Palantir - Palantir reported a 39% year-over-year increase in sales, reflecting strong demand and raising its sales outlook for the current year significantly [2][4]. - The customer count grew nearly 40% year-over-year and 8% sequentially, with a record U.S. commercial total contract value of $810 million, up 180% year-over-year [3]. - Analysts have revised their sales expectations for Palantir, with the current Zacks Consensus estimate at $3.9 billion, up nearly 20% from last year, and a forecasted 37% year-over-year sales growth [4]. Group 2: Cboe Global Markets - Cboe Global Markets achieved record adjusted EPS of $2.37, a 21% increase year-over-year, and record net revenue of $562.5 million, up 13% year-over-year [5]. - The company reported record Options net revenue of $352.4 million, up 15% year-over-year, and global FX net revenue of $21.3 million, climbing 16% year-over-year [6]. - Following the strong results, analysts have notably revised their earnings expectations higher, indicating a favorable near-term earnings outlook [9]. Group 3: Eaton - Eaton posted record Q1 adjusted EPS of $2.72, a 13% increase year-over-year, and record Q1 sales of $6.4 billion, up 7% year-over-year, with segment margins reaching 23.9%, an 80 basis points increase year-over-year [10]. - The company has demonstrated a commitment to rewarding shareholders, with a 7% five-year annualized dividend growth rate, reflecting strong dividend growth over the last decade [13].

Summary of Key Points Core Viewpoint - The total short interest in Nasdaq securities has increased, indicating a growing bearish sentiment among investors as of the settlement date of May 15, 2025 Group 1: Nasdaq Global Market - Short interest in 3,168 Nasdaq Global Market securities totaled 13,735,568,588 shares, up from 13,300,707,903 shares in the previous reporting period [1] - The mid-May short interest represents an average of 2.41 days, slightly higher than the previous period's 2.40 days [1] Group 2: Nasdaq Capital Market - Short interest in 1,639 securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market reached 2,731,907,808 shares, an increase from 2,645,060,429 shares in the prior period [2] - The average daily volume for this segment remained stable at 1.00 day [2] Group 3: Overall Nasdaq Securities - Total short interest across all 4,807 Nasdaq securities amounted to 16,467,476,396 shares, compared to 15,945,768,332 shares in the previous reporting period [3] - This represents an average of 1.79 days of short interest, down from 1.92 days in the prior period [3] Group 4: Short Sale Definition - A short sale is defined as the sale of a security that the seller does not own, or any sale completed by delivering a borrowed security [4]

Core Viewpoint - CME Group shares have increased by approximately 7.1% since the last earnings report, outperforming the S&P 500, raising questions about the sustainability of this positive trend leading up to the next earnings release [1] Estimates Movement - Consensus estimates for CME Group have trended upward over the past month, with a shift of 5.97% in estimates due to recent changes [2] VGM Scores - CME Group currently holds a subpar Growth Score of D and a Momentum Score of F, with a Value Score also graded at D, placing it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy; the overall aggregate VGM Score is F [3] Outlook - The upward trend in estimates is promising, and CME Group holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating expectations for above-average returns in the coming months [4]

IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) appears an attractive pick, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade is essentially a reflection of an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the syst ...