Nasdaq, Inc. $NDAQ Shares Bought by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management increased its Nasdaq stake by 572.7% in the third quarter, buying 1.69 million additional shares to own 1.99 million shares worth about $182.9 million. Hedge funds and other institutions collectively hold 72.47% of NDAQ.
• Nasdaq reported quarterly EPS of $1.07, exceeding the $0.98 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 14.9% year over year to $2.53 billion. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.31, or $1.24 annually, yielding about 1.3%.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $108.83 versus a share price of $93.50. However, insiders sold 45,172 shares worth approximately $4.25 million over the past 90 days, and valuation and competition remain risks.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ - Free Report) by 572.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,988,348 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,692,770 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.36% of Nasdaq worth $182,948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of NDAQ. Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new position in Nasdaq in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Eastern Bank raised its holdings in Nasdaq by 168.0% during the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 268 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Nasdaq during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Nasdaq during the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Signature Equity Partners LLC lifted its stake in Nasdaq by 60.3% during the first quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. 72.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Nelson Griggs sold 11,010 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.35, for a total transaction of $1,060,813.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 205,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,751,846.35. This trade represents a 5.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Bradley Peterson sold 13,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.61, for a total transaction of $1,203,930.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 128,293 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,881,214.73. This represents a 9.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 45,172 shares of company stock worth $4,245,088 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Nasdaq Stock Performance

Shares of NDAQ stock opened at $93.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $52.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.99. Nasdaq, Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.55 and a 1-year high of $101.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $94.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $90.59.

Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.09. Nasdaq had a return on equity of 18.38% and a net margin of 22.60%. The firm had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.85 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Nasdaq, Inc. will post 4.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nasdaq Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Nasdaq's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NDAQ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Nasdaq in a report on Friday, October 2nd. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $100.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $108.00 target price (up from $104.00) on shares of Nasdaq in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Nasdaq from $120.00 to $118.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Nasdaq in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Nasdaq from $92.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nasdaq has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $108.83.

More Nasdaq News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nasdaq this week:

• Positive Sentiment: LeveL Markets acquisition expands Nasdaq’s trading reach. Nasdaq completed its acquisition of LeveL Markets, one of the largest U.S. alternative trading systems. The deal adds liquidity and supports Nasdaq’s “always-on” trading strategy, potentially creating new revenue opportunities across trading, market data and infrastructure. Nasdaq Completes Acquisition of LeveL Markets, Advancing its Always-On Vision
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and earnings optimism remain catalysts. J.P. Morgan maintains a Buy view, while Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $116. The consensus rating remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $108.83. Ahead of next week’s earnings report, analysts expect growth, supported by Nasdaq’s recurring data, technology and market-services revenue. Nasdaq Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Index and data businesses are showing momentum. Index revenue growth accelerated to 38% year over year in the second quarter from 14% in the first quarter, and broader industry trends—including crypto adoption and technology investment—could support non-trading revenue. Can Nasdaq Index Growth Hold Up Without a Rising Market?
• Neutral Sentiment: Temporary network disruption resolved. Nasdaq said it resolved a network issue that affected some equities markets. The limited outage could raise reliability concerns, but its resolution reduces the immediate operational risk. Nasdaq Resolves Network Disruption
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain risks. Commentary argues the stock may look expensive if index growth depends heavily on rising markets and asset inflows. Competition across exchanges and a Wells Fargo Hold rating also temper the bullish outlook. An executive’s sale of 1,125 shares is a minor additional negative signal, although the executive retained a substantial stake. Nasdaq Stock Looks Pricey

About Nasdaq

Nasdaq, Inc is a global financial technology, market infrastructure and exchange company headquartered in New York City. The company operates Nasdaq stock exchanges in the United States and provides trading, clearing, settlement, listing and market data services. Through its Nordic and Baltic operations, Nasdaq also serves financial markets across Northern Europe.

Nasdaq's business includes exchange and market services, index development, investment intelligence, and technology solutions for exchanges, brokers, banks, asset managers and other financial institutions.

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