Global market infrastructure company Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) reported Q3 2026 results topping the market’s revenue expectations, with revenue up 16.1% year on year to $2.8 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.02 per share was 2.5% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

For more on Intercontinental Exchange, read our free full research report.

ICE Chair & Chief Executive Officer said, "We're pleased to report the best third quarter in ICE's history, with revenues, operating income and earnings per share each growing by double digits. Our customers come to ICE to manage risk, to connect with one another, to access our data and to run critical parts of their business on our platforms. They want to trade, hedge and access data whenever markets are moving, and we're building our networks to meet them there. Looking ahead, we'll keep expanding our markets, data and technology to meet our customers' needs, and we enter the fourth quarter with strong momentum."

Revenue growth

Examining a company’s long-term performance can provide clues about its quality. Even a bad business can perform well for one or two quarters, but a top-tier one grows for years. Intercontinental Exchange’s 9.4% annualized revenue growth over the last five years was decent. Its growth was slightly above the average financials company and shows its offerings resonate with customers.

Long-term growth matters the most, but within financials, a half-decade historical view may miss recent interest rate changes, market returns and industry trends. Intercontinental Exchange’s annualized revenue growth of 9.3% over the last two years aligns with its five-year trend, suggesting its demand was stable. Note: Quarters not shown were determined to be outliers because they were impacted by outsized investment gains/losses that are not indicative of the recurring fundamentals of the business.

This quarter, Intercontinental Exchange reported year-on-year revenue growth of 16.1%, and its $2.8 billion of revenue exceeded Wall Street’s consensus estimates by 2.1%.

Key takeaways from Intercontinental Exchange’s Q3 results

Intercontinental Exchange’s Q3 results had some key positives: revenue and EPS topped consensus estimates, but EBITDA fell slightly short. Shares rose 4.3% to $162.67 immediately after the results.

Intercontinental Exchange may have had a good quarter, but that alone does not make it a buy. The latest quarter matters, but longer-term fundamentals and valuation matter much more when deciding whether to buy the stock. For more on those considerations, read the full research report here (it’s free).