Key Highlights

  • ICE's $0.52 quarterly Dividend has a Record Date of September 16, 2026, payable September 30, yielding approximately 1.32%, up 8% from the $0.48 dividend paid in the third quarter of 2025.
  • Second-quarter consolidated Revenue reached approximately $2.7 billion, with GAAP diluted EPS of $1.69, up 14% year over year, and adjusted diluted EPS of $1.90.
  • ICE agreed to acquire MarketAxess Holdings for $167 per share in cash, an Equity value of approximately $6.0 billion, expected to close in the first half of 2027.
  • The company generated approximately $2.6 billion of adjusted free Cash Flow in the first half of 2026 and returned $1.8 billion to stockholders, including $1.2 billion of repurchases.

Intercontinental Exchange's (NYSE:ICE) $0.52 quarterly dividend yields approximately 1.32% and represents an 8% increase from the $0.48 per share paid in the third quarter of 2025, supported by record Recurring Revenue of approximately $1.35 billion, up 8% on a constant-currency basis. The dividend increase was declared alongside the announcement of the $6.0 billion MarketAxess acquisition, a transaction the company said it plans to fund with newly issued Debt rather than by reducing the pace of dividend growth or existing share repurchases.

Dividend Program and Shareholder Returns

ICE increased its third-quarter 2026 dividend to $0.52 per share, up from $0.48 in the third quarter of 2025. The dividend was declared July 30 and is payable September 30, 2026 to shareholders of record as of September 16, with an ex-dividend date also of September 16. Through June 30, the company had already returned $1.8 billion to shareholders, including $1.2 billion in buybacks, and its board increased the authorized repurchase program to as much as $4 billion effective July 1.

About the Company

ICE is a global operator of financial exchanges, clearing houses, market infrastructure, data services and financial technology, including the New York Stock Exchange, with an increasingly recurring revenue base from technology, workflow and data services alongside traditional exchange trading.

Financial Performance Behind the Payout

ICE reported second-quarter consolidated revenue of approximately $2.7 billion, with $958 million of GAAP Net Income attributable to ICE. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.69, up 14% year over year, while adjusted diluted EPS was $1.90. Operating Income increased 7% to approximately $1.4 billion, producing a 52% operating margin, with an adjusted Operating Margin of 61%. Record recurring revenue reached approximately $1.35 billion, up 8% on a constant-currency basis. Through June 30, the company had generated approximately $2.6 billion of adjusted free cash flow in the first half.

MarketAxess Acquisition Expands Fixed-Income Platform

ICE's planned acquisition of MarketAxess Holdings for $167 per share in cash values the transaction at approximately $6.0 billion in equity value, representing a 33% premium to MarketAxess's closing price as of July 29, 2026. The deal is expected to close during the first half of 2027, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, and ICE has arranged a $6.2 billion Bridge Financing commitment alongside plans to pursue permanent debt financing. The combination would add MarketAxess's electronic institutional bond-trading platform, connecting approximately 2,100 institutional investors and broker-dealers, to ICE's existing fixed-income data, analytics and retail bond-trading capabilities.

Outlook

ICE's dividend was increased 8% alongside the MarketAxess acquisition announcement, with the company stating it expects to continue paying and growing its quarterly dividend. Metrics relevant to the payout's context going forward include recurring revenue growth, adjusted free cash flow generation, the financing structure and closing timeline of the MarketAxess transaction, and the pace of share repurchases under the expanded $4 billion authorization.