CME Group (CME) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.68 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.63 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.68 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +1.90%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this parent company of the Chicago Board of Trade and other exchanges would post earnings of $2.91 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.96, delivering a surprise o ...

Investors in Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Jan. 16, 2026 $80 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. I ...

Nasdaq (NDAQ) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.88 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.84 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.74 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +4.76%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this exchange operator would post earnings of $0.8 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.85, delivering a surprise of +6.25%.Over the last four quarters, the company ...

CME Group (CME) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended September 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.The earnings report, which is expected to be released on October 22, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectat ...

Group 1 - The stock of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Jan 16, 2025 $80 Call option [1] - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant price change or an upcoming event that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2] - Currently, Intercontinental Exchange holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) in the Securities and Exchanges industry, which is in the bottom 34% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] Group 2 - Over the past 30 days, no analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while five analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $1.72 to $1.64 per share [3] - The high implied volatility may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility to capture decay [4]

Core Insights - The Zacks Securities and Exchanges industry is benefiting from a diversified product portfolio, increased trading volumes, and the growing adoption of crypto assets, which is expected to enhance revenues for key players like S&P Global, Intercontinental Exchange, CME Group, Nasdaq Inc., and Cboe Global Markets [1][2] - The industry is focusing on non-trading revenue sources, including market technology and information services, to create stable cash flows and reduce reliance on trading income [4][5] Industry Overview - The Zacks Securities and Exchanges industry includes companies that operate electronic marketplaces for trading stocks, options, bonds, and commodity contracts, generating revenue from fees and providing data services [2] - The industry is experiencing increased adoption of crypto assets, but faces challenges due to regulatory compliance [2] Trends Shaping the Industry - Trading volume is driven by volatility, with a projected market size of $49.6 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 12.1% [3] - Companies are diversifying into recurring revenue sources to stabilize income amidst fluctuating market volumes [4] - Mergers and acquisitions are on the rise, helping companies expand their market reach and product offerings [5] - Continuous investment in technology, particularly AI and blockchain, is enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness [6][7] Industry Performance - The Zacks Securities and Exchanges industry ranks 24, placing it in the top 10% of Zacks industries, indicating strong near-term prospects [8][9] - The industry has outperformed the broader Zacks Finance sector and the S&P 500, gaining 15% year-to-date compared to 10.7% and 9.5% respectively [12] Valuation Metrics - The industry is currently trading at a trailing P/E of 26.32X, higher than the S&P 500's 22.85X and the sector's 16.89X [15] Company Highlights - **Nasdaq**: Focused on maximizing non-trading revenue and technology services, with a projected EPS growth of 17.4% and 11.5% for 2025 and 2026 respectively [19][20] - **S&P Global**: Positioned to benefit from growing demand for business information services, with EPS growth estimates of 9.2% and 11% for 2025 and 2026 [22][23] - **Intercontinental Exchange**: A leading operator with a strong portfolio and expected EPS growth of 15% and 10.8% for 2025 and 2026 [25][26] - **CME Group**: The largest futures exchange, focusing on expanding product offerings, with EPS growth estimates of 8.6% and 3.8% for 2025 and 2026 [28][29] - **Cboe Global Markets**: Expanding product lines and geographic reach, with EPS growth projections of 11.5% and 5.9% for 2025 and 2026 [32][33]

Core Insights - OTC Markets Group Inc. reported quarterly earnings of $0.6 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.62 per share, but showing an increase from $0.56 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of -3.23% [1] - The company posted revenues of $30.51 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.91% and increasing from $27.56 million year-over-year [2] - OTC Markets Group shares have increased approximately 10.3% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 7.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.64 on revenues of $29.48 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.44 on revenues of $120.34 million [7] - The estimate revisions trend for OTC Markets Group was mixed ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Securities and Exchanges industry, to which OTC Markets Group belongs, is currently ranked in the top 12% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8]

Company Performance - CBOE Global reported quarterly earnings of $2.46 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42 per share, and up from $2.15 per share a year ago [1] - The earnings surprise for this quarter was +1.65%, following a previous quarter surprise of +5.93% where actual earnings were $2.50 compared to an expected $2.36 [2] - The company achieved revenues of $587.3 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.63% and increasing from $513.8 million year-over-year [3] Market Performance - CBOE shares have increased approximately 23.4% since the beginning of the year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 7.8% [4] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $2.29 on revenues of $558.16 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $9.58 on revenues of $2.26 billion [8] - The Zacks Rank for CBOE is currently 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [7] Industry Context - The Securities and Exchanges industry, to which CBOE belongs, is currently ranked in the top 10% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [9]

Core Viewpoint - IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) reported quarterly earnings of $1.81 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.77 per share, and showing an increase from $1.52 per share a year ago [1][2] Financial Performance - ICE's quarterly revenue reached $2.54 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.71%, and up from $2.32 billion year-over-year [3] - The company has outperformed consensus EPS estimates three times in the last four quarters [2][3] Stock Performance - ICE shares have increased approximately 24.7% since the beginning of the year, compared to an 8.2% gain in the S&P 500 [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [7] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.75 on revenues of $2.51 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $7.00 on revenues of $10.03 billion [8] - The outlook for the Securities and Exchanges industry is strong, with the industry currently ranking in the top 10% of over 250 Zacks industries [9] Competitor Insights - CBOE Global, a competitor in the same industry, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $2.42 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 12.6% [10] - CBOE Global's anticipated revenues are projected to be $572.24 million, up 11.4% from the previous year [11]

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades. Eve ...