Walter Public Investments Inc. Buys 15,129 Shares of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. $ICE

Key Points

• Walter Public Investments increased its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 13.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 15,129 additional shares. The fund now owns 124,993 shares worth about $20.2 million, making ICE its 8th-largest holding.
• Intercontinental Exchange reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.35 beating estimates and revenue rising 20.4% year over year to $3.67 billion. Analysts still expect the company to earn 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Several analysts remain positive on ICE, with firms like UBS and Barclays reiterating buy/overweight views and an average price target of $194.60. At the same time, recent insider sales by the general counsel and a director may temper sentiment somewhat.

Walter Public Investments Inc. boosted its stake in Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE - Free Report) by 13.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 124,993 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 15,129 shares during the period. Intercontinental Exchange accounts for about 3.6% of Walter Public Investments Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Walter Public Investments Inc.'s holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $20,244,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ICE. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 191,658 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,041,000 after purchasing an additional 10,742 shares in the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 19.7% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 127,652 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $21,507,000 after purchasing an additional 20,981 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC boosted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 18.4% in the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 107,070 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $17,988,000 after purchasing an additional 16,635 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 31,506 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,308,000 after purchasing an additional 4,333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bright Rock Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bright Rock Capital Management LLC now owns 45,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,582,000 after purchasing an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.30% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Intercontinental Exchange

Here are the key news stories impacting Intercontinental Exchange this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Jeffrey Sprecher’s comments about pursuing 24/7 on-chain perps and exploring ties with Hyperliquid suggest ICE could expand into a fast-growing crypto trading niche. Article: NYSE parent ICE pushes ‘level playing field’ for 24/7 onchain perps
• Positive Sentiment: ICE said natural gas and power open interest hit record levels in May, pointing to strong trading volumes and healthy demand on its exchanges. Article: Open interest in natural gas and power on ICE hits record in May
• Neutral Sentiment: ICE’s CEO also highlighted exploratory discussions with Hyperliquid, reinforcing the company’s interest in crypto-market infrastructure but without any finalized deal or launch yet. Article: Intercontinental Exchange Owner Says This 11-Person Crypto Team Is Bigger Than Nasdaq
• Negative Sentiment: General Counsel Andrew Surdykowski sold 4,573 shares, adding to near-term concern around insider confidence. Article: Intercontinental Exchange General Counsel Andrew Surdykowski Sells 4,573 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Director Sharon Bowen also sold shares recently, which may reinforce the cautious tone around the stock. Article: Intercontinental Exchange Director Sharon Bowen Sells 667 Shares

Intercontinental Exchange Price Performance

ICE stock opened at $147.85 on Friday. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has a 1 year low of $143.17 and a 1 year high of $189.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $157.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $160.07. The firm has a market cap of $83.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.52, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.96.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.12. Intercontinental Exchange had a return on equity of 14.99% and a net margin of 30.06%.The firm had revenue of $3.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. Intercontinental Exchange's revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Intercontinental Exchange Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ICE shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $205.00 price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Intercontinental Exchange from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $201.00 price objective (up from $198.00) on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Intercontinental Exchange from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Intercontinental Exchange presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $194.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Andrew J. Surdykowski sold 4,573 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.56, for a total value of $693,083.88. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 45,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,891,887.88. This represents a 9.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sharon Bowen sold 667 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.28, for a total value of $100,903.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,280,848.56. The trade was a 4.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 12,001 shares of company stock worth $1,847,820 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.84% of the company's stock.

Intercontinental Exchange Profile

Intercontinental Exchange NYSE: ICE is a global operator of exchanges, clearing houses and data services that provides infrastructure for the trading, clearing, settlement and information needs of financial and commodity markets. Founded in 2000 by Jeffrey C. Sprecher as an electronic energy trading platform, the company has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to operate a broad portfolio of assets spanning listed equities, futures and options, fixed income, and over-the-counter derivatives.

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