CBOE vs ICE vs NDAQ Stock Comparison

Cboe Global Markets, Intercontinental Exchange and Nasdaq Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.
$102.56 +7.5% 1M +15.5% 1Y
Market cap
$58.54B
P/E
28.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.15B
Div. yield
–
Exchanges Financial Services

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Intercontinental Exchange leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Intercontinental Exchange 6, Cboe Global Markets 6). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionCBOEICENDAQLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $35.02B $90.16B $58.54B ICE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 26.0x 22.3x 28.1x ICE
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 25.6x 18.7x 25.6x ICE
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +11.7% +6.9% +11.5% CBOE
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 26.6% 30.1% 22.8% ICE
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 18.1% 8.5% 10.5% CBOE
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -0.5x 2.6x 2.4x CBOE
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% 0.01% 0.00% ICE
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +43.5% +3.3% +15.5% CBOE
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +21.4%/yr +4.3%/yr +8.8%/yr CBOE
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 35.9% 25.6% 28.4% ICE
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 70/100 57/100 56/100 CBOE

Percentile Scorecard

CBOEICENDAQ

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisCBOEICENDAQ
Valuation 55 #44 of 97 64 #36 of 97 43 #56 of 97
Growth 72 #20 of 69 53 #33 of 69 46 #38 of 69
Profitability 96 #4 of 70 84 #12 of 70 80 #15 of 70
Financial Health 81 #20 of 101 37 #64 of 101 48 #53 of 101
Shareholder Returns 46 #22 of 40 49 #21 of 40 62 #16 of 40
Overall 70 57 56
  • CBOE ranked among 112 companies in Capital Markets
  • ICE ranked among 112 companies in Capital Markets
  • NDAQ ranked among 112 companies in Capital Markets

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodCBOEICENDAQSPY
1 month +26.3%+4.0%+7.5% -1.0%
3 months +19.1%+11.6%+11.4% +2.9%
6 months +12.1%+2.7%+14.1% +6.4%
Year to date +35.6%+0.4%+5.6% +11.4%
1 year +43.5%+3.3%+15.5% +13.1%
3 years +109.8%+52.1%+107.4% +79.4%
3 years, per year +28.0%+15.0%+27.5% +21.5%
5 years +163.2%+23.6%+52.5% +67.7%
5 years, per year +21.4%+4.3%+8.8% +10.9%
10 years +432.6%+205.4%+364.9% +255.2%
10 years, per year +18.2%+11.8%+16.6% +13.5%

Risk

MeasureCBOEICENDAQSPY
Volatility, 1Y 35.9%25.6%28.4% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 39.3%27.3%29.9% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.400.180.56 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.210.130.54 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -36.9%-35.1%-33.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -7.2%-7.1%-0.7% -2.5%
52-week high $366.70$175.10$103.30 $779.14
52-week low $231.51$122.91$76.85 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleCBOEICENDAQ
P/E now vs peer median 26.5xmedian 29.4x 22.7xmedian 29.4x 27.5xmedian 29.4x
P/S now vs peer median 7.0xmedian 2.8x 6.8xmedian 2.8x 6.3xmedian 2.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 18.5xmedian 12.8x 15.6xmedian 12.8x 19.3xmedian 12.8x
P/FCF now vs peer median 19.0xmedian 15.9x 18.0xmedian 15.9x 25.4xmedian 15.9x
P/B now vs peer median 6.3xmedian 2.5x 3.1xmedian 2.5x 4.8xmedian 2.5x
PEG now vs peer median 0.94median 0.51 0.68median 0.51 1.50median 0.51

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsCBOEICENDAQ
Revenue $5.06B $13.43B $9.15B
Gross profit $2.74B – $5.78B
Operating income $1.76B $5.47B $2.73B
Net income $1.35B $4.10B $2.08B
Free cash flow $1.87B $5.08B $2.26B
EPS (diluted) $12.84 $7.13 $3.70
Cash & equivalents $2.28B $1.07B $365.00M
Total debt $1.44B $78.89B $8.74B
Shares (diluted) 104.90M 566.00M 563.31M
Enterprise value $26.68B $83.90B $55.98B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricCBOEICENDAQ
P/E 26.5x 22.7x 27.5x
P/FCF 19.0x 18.0x 25.4x
P/Operating cash flow 18.1x 16.6x 22.5x
P/S 7.0x 6.8x 6.3x
P/B 6.3x 3.1x 4.8x
P/Tangible book 8.0x 6.2x 9.7x
EV/EBITDA 18.5x 15.6x 19.3x
EV/EBIT 19.7x 20.0x 24.0x
EV/Revenue 6.8x 8.1x 7.2x
EV/FCF 18.5x 21.5x 29.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 17.7x 19.8x 25.7x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.94 0.68 1.50

Growth

14 metrics
MetricCBOEICENDAQ
Revenue growth (1Y) 11.7% 6.9% 11.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 9.1% 11.9% 15.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 23.9% – 13.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 14.2% – 16.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) 35.2% 16.4% 23.1%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 21.5% 13.9% 20.1%
Net income growth (1Y) 50.2% 34.1% 28.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 27.6% 33.1% 23.6%
EPS growth (1Y) 50.5% 36.6% 31.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 28.1% 33.3% 18.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 4,740% 13.1% 9.0%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 52.5% 14.9% 12.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 1,757% 13.9% 7.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 55.8% 14.1% 11.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricCBOEICENDAQ
Gross margin 54.1% – 63.2%
EBITDA margin 37.1% 52.3% 37.0%
Operating margin 34.7% 40.7% 29.8%
Pretax margin 37.4% 39.7% 28.5%
Net margin 26.6% 30.1% 22.8%
FCF margin 37.0% 37.8% 24.7%
Operating cash flow margin 38.8% 41.1% 27.8%
Return on equity 24.6% 13.9% 17.4%
Return on assets 12.5% 2.3% 7.6%
Return on invested capital 18.1% 8.5% 10.5%
Return on capital employed 24.9% 9.7% 12.0%
Asset turnover 0.5x 0.1x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.5x 1.3x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue 1.1% 2.0% 1.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricCBOEICENDAQ
Debt / assets 13.6% 11.4% 31.9%
Debt / equity 0.3x 0.7x 0.7x
Net debt / EBITDA -0.5x 2.6x 2.4x
Debt / FCF 0.8x 3.9x 3.9x
Liabilities / assets 47.0% 83.0% 56.2%
Equity / assets 53.0% 17.0% 43.8%
Interest coverage 33.1x 6.8x 7.9x
Current ratio 1.6x 1.0x 1.0x
Quick ratio 0.8x 0.0x 0.4x
Cash ratio 0.6x 0.0x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 6.10 0.75 3.44

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricCBOEICENDAQ
Dividend yield 0.9% 1.3% 1.1%
Net buyback yield 0.2% 2.2% 2.6%
Shareholder yield 1.1% 3.4% 3.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) 22.4% 27.8% –
Payout ratio (FCF) 16.2% 22.5% –
Dividend growth (1Y) 14.1% 6.1% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 8.3% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusCBOEICENDAQ
Forward P/E 25.6xFY2026 18.7xFY2026 25.6xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $13.28FY2026 $8.68FY2026 $4.01FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +24.5%FY2026 +24.9%FY2026 +15.2%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +6.8% -3.0% +10.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.99BFY2026 $10.53BFY2026 $6.07BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +23.2%FY2026 +6.0%FY2026 +15.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +4.9% +16.1% +13.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersCBOEICENDAQ
Held by institutions 88.4% 92.5% 83.8%
Institutions holding 985 1,651 1,082
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.2% +1.4% +1.0%
Institutions buying 523 734 538
Institutions selling 342 694 397
Buyers to sellers 1.53 1.06 1.36

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

CBOEICENDAQ
CBOE 1.00 0.32 0.31
ICE 0.32 1.00 0.65
NDAQ 0.31 0.65 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, CBOE, ICE and NDAQ?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is the largest by market capitalisation: Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) $35.02B, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) $90.16B, Nasdaq (NDAQ) $58.54B.

Which stock is cheaper, CBOE, ICE and NDAQ?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 26.0x, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 22.3x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.1x). On next year's consensus earnings, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is cheapest (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 25.6x, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 18.7x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 25.6x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) +11.7%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) +6.9%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +11.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has the highest net margin (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 26.6%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 30.1%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 22.8%). On return on invested capital, Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) leads (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 18.1%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 8.5%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 10.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) returned the most: Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) +43.5%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) +3.3%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +15.5%. Over five years, Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) compounded fastest (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) +21.4%/yr, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) +4.3%/yr, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +8.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has the highest dividend yield: Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 0.01%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 0.01%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 0.00%. Nasdaq (NDAQ) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has been the steadiest (Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) 35.9%, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 25.6%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.4%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, CBOE, ICE and NDAQ?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.