Amundi Buys 230,087 Shares of MarketAxess Holdings Inc. $MKTX

Key Points

• Amundi increased its MarketAxess stake by 803.9% in the first quarter, purchasing 230,087 additional shares to own 258,708 shares worth approximately $42.7 million, or 0.73% of the company.
• MarketAxess reported quarterly EPS of $1.95, beating estimates of $1.85, while revenue reached $218 million versus expectations of $216.7 million. However, revenue declined 0.5% year over year and EPS fell from $2.00 in the prior-year period.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, equivalent to $3.12 annually and a 1.9% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating, with an average price target of $160.18.

Amundi lifted its position in MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MKTX - Free Report) by 803.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 258,708 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 230,087 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned about 0.73% of MarketAxess worth $42,682,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of MarketAxess in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in MarketAxess by 200.0% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 120 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in MarketAxess during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in MarketAxess by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 280 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Finally, Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new stake in MarketAxess during the first quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Institutional investors own 99.01% of the company's stock.

MarketAxess Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MKTX opened at $162.30 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. MarketAxess Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $108.75 and a 1-year high of $210.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.14, a PEG ratio of 16.05 and a beta of 0.83. The business's 50-day moving average price is $120.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $151.68.

MarketAxess (NASDAQ:MKTX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $218.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $216.70 million. MarketAxess had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 35.22%.MarketAxess's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.00 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that MarketAxess Holdings Inc. will post 8.03 earnings per share for the current year.

MarketAxess Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. MarketAxess's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.88%.

MarketAxess News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MarketAxess this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ICE acquisition creates a substantial valuation catalyst. The all-cash transaction gives MKTX shareholders a defined takeover price and reflects ICE’s expectation that electronic bond trading will continue gaining market share. Shares rose nearly 30% following the announcement, approaching the offer value. MarketAxess Stock Soars 30% on $6 Billion ICE Buyout Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations. Second-quarter EPS was $1.95 versus the $1.85-$1.89 consensus range, while revenue of approximately $218 million topped estimates near $216.7 million. The earnings beat provides additional support for investor sentiment, although results were weaker year over year. MarketAxess Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity signals speculative bullish positioning. Investors purchased 20,581 call options, approximately 46 times the average daily volume of 435 contracts. This may reflect traders positioning for the acquisition premium, though options activity alone does not confirm the deal will close.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock is trading below the $167 offer price. The discount implies that investors see some remaining deal-completion risk, including regulatory, shareholder and closing conditions. The transaction would combine ICE’s market infrastructure with MarketAxess’ institutional bond-trading platform. Intercontinental Exchange to Acquire MarketAxess
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder law firms have announced investigations into whether the proposed sale provides a fair price and whether MarketAxess directors fulfilled their fiduciary duties. Such reviews could create deal uncertainty or delay, although these announcements are common after large mergers.
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying operating trends were mixed. Second-quarter revenue was essentially flat year over year, commission revenue declined 3%, and EPS fell from $2.00 a year earlier. The dividend remains in place at $0.78 per share quarterly, but standalone growth concerns are less important while MKTX trades primarily on the acquisition outcome. MarketAxess Second-Quarter Financial Results

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MKTX shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MarketAxess from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on MarketAxess from $175.00 to $128.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MarketAxess from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of MarketAxess from $195.00 to $129.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of MarketAxess from $168.00 to $130.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $160.18.

MarketAxess Company Profile

MarketAxess Holdings Inc operates a leading global electronic trading platform specializing in fixed-income securities and related products. The company's network enables institutional investors and broker-dealers to trade corporate bonds, municipal securities, emerging markets debt, U.S. Treasuries and credit default swaps in an automated, multi-dealer environment. MarketAxess also offers portfolio trading, data analytics, best-execution tools and post-trade services to streamline workflows and enhance price discovery across its marketplace.

In addition to core voice-like trading protocols, MarketAxess provides Open Trading®, an anonymous, all-to-all trading protocol designed to improve liquidity and transaction efficiency.

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