ICE vs NDAQ vs VERX Stock Comparison

Intercontinental Exchange, Nasdaq and Vertex Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.
$104.36 +11.6% 1M +17.5% 1Y
Market cap
$58.95B
P/E
28.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.15B
Div. yield
–
Exchanges Financial Services
5 wins
VERX Vertex, Inc.
$14.80 +30.2% 1M -42.3% 1Y
Market cap
$2.38B
P/E
665.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$787.44M
Div. yield
–
Compliance Software Technology
1 win

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Intercontinental Exchange leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Intercontinental Exchange 5, Nasdaq 5, Vertex 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionICENDAQVERXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $87.36B $58.95B $2.38B ICE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 21.6x 28.3x 665.5x ICE
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 17.9x 25.9x 19.0x ICE
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.9% +11.5% +10.8% NDAQ
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 30.1% 22.8% 0.5% ICE
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 8.5% 10.5% 0.0% NDAQ
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 2.6x 2.4x 1.1x VERX
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -2.8% +17.5% -42.3% NDAQ
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +2.8%/yr +8.6%/yr -6.3%/yr NDAQ
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 25.8% 28.5% 62.4% ICE
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 54/100 54/100 49/100 NDAQ

Percentile Scorecard

ICENDAQVERX

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

AxisICENDAQVERX
Valuation 59 #40 of 96 42 #56 of 96 40 #61 of 101
Growth 45 #37 of 66 40 #40 of 66 76 #24 of 97
Profitability 83 #12 of 64 79 #14 of 64 55 #43 of 94
Financial Health 36 #60 of 93 47 #50 of 93 34 #72 of 108
Shareholder Returns 46 #21 of 38 62 #15 of 38 40 #39 of 64
Overall 54 54 49
  • ICE ranked among 110 companies in Capital Markets
  • NDAQ ranked among 110 companies in Capital Markets
  • VERX ranked among 114 companies in Business Applications

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodICENDAQVERXSPY
1 month +0.7%+11.6%+30.2% -0.2%
3 months +1.7%+8.8%+11.8% +3.9%
6 months -0.6%+14.3%+17.2% +8.2%
Year to date -4.0%+7.4%-25.9% +12.9%
1 year -2.8%+17.5%-42.3% +12.3%
3 years +48.4%+119.3%-35.0% +87.4%
3 years, per year +14.1%+29.9%-13.4% +23.3%
5 years +14.7%+51.2%-27.8% +67.9%
5 years, per year +2.8%+8.6%-6.3% +10.9%
10 years +192.0%+389.6%— +261.1%
10 years, per year +11.3%+17.2%— +13.7%

Risk

MeasureICENDAQVERXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 25.8%28.5%62.4% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 27.5%29.9%63.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.160.570.44 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.110.62-0.68 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -35.1%-33.4%-82.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -11.2%-0.3%-42.3% -1.2%
52-week high $175.10$104.72$25.66 $779.14
52-week low $122.91$76.85$10.58 $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.

MultipleICENDAQVERX
P/E now vs peer median 21.7xmedian 28.3x 28.0xmedian 28.3x 667.9xmedian 28.3x
P/S now vs peer median 6.5xmedian 2.9x 6.4xmedian 2.9x 3.0xmedian 2.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.0xmedian 13.5x 19.6xmedian 13.5x 25.4xmedian 17.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 17.2xmedian 16.0x 25.8xmedian 16.0x 47.3xmedian 15.8x
P/B now vs peer median 2.9xmedian 2.4x 4.9xmedian 2.4x 9.9xmedian 3.2x
PEG now vs peer median 0.65median 0.54 1.53median 0.54 23.69median 0.85

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 monthsICENDAQVERX
Revenue $13.43B $9.15B $787.44M
Gross profit – $5.78B $503.58M
Operating income $5.47B $2.73B -$13.34M
Net income $4.10B $2.08B $3.58M
Free cash flow $5.08B $2.26B $50.48M
R&D – – $91.60M
EPS (diluted) $7.13 $3.70 $0.02
Cash & equivalents $1.07B $365.00M $230.49M
Total debt $19.85B $8.74B $1.35B
Shares (diluted) 566.00M 563.31M 161.39M
Enterprise value $81.10B $56.38B $1.24B

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
MetricICENDAQVERX
P/E 21.7x 28.0x 667.9x
P/FCF 17.2x 25.8x 47.3x
P/Operating cash flow 15.8x 22.9x 13.8x
P/S 6.5x 6.4x 3.0x
P/B 2.9x 4.9x 9.9x
P/Tangible book 5.9x 9.9x 10.0x
EV/EBITDA 15.0x 19.6x 25.4x
EV/EBIT 19.2x 24.4x -187.1x
EV/Revenue 7.8x 7.3x 3.2x
EV/FCF 20.7x 29.5x 49.4x
EV/Operating cash flow 19.1x 26.1x 14.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.65 1.53 23.69

Growth

14 metrics
MetricICENDAQVERX
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.9% 11.5% 10.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 11.9% 15.1% 14.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – 13.7% 9.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – 16.2% 15.8%
Operating income growth (1Y) 16.4% 23.1% -75.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 13.9% 20.1% 8.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 34.1% 28.2% 107.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 33.1% 23.6% 28.3%
EPS growth (1Y) 36.6% 31.8% 107.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 33.3% 18.3% 28.2%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 13.1% 9.0% 21.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 14.9% 12.8% 47.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 13.9% 7.6% 4,078%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 14.1% 11.6% 78.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricICENDAQVERX
Gross margin – 63.2% 64.0%
EBITDA margin 52.3% 37.0% 12.5%
Operating margin 40.7% 29.8% -1.7%
Pretax margin 39.7% 28.5% -1.2%
Net margin 30.1% 22.8% 0.5%
FCF margin 37.8% 24.7% 6.4%
Operating cash flow margin 41.1% 27.8% 22.0%
Return on equity 13.9% 17.4% 1.5%
Return on assets 2.3% 7.6% 0.3%
Return on invested capital 8.5% 10.5% 0.0%
Return on capital employed 9.7% 12.0% -2.1%
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.3x 0.6x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.3x 1.2x 48.6x
Stock comp / revenue 2.0% 1.9% 7.2%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricICENDAQVERX
Debt / assets 11.4% 31.9% 28.0%
Debt / equity 0.7x 0.7x 1.4x
Net debt / EBITDA 2.6x 2.4x 1.1x
Debt / FCF 3.9x 3.9x 6.7x
Liabilities / assets 83.0% 56.2% 80.1%
Equity / assets 17.0% 43.8% 19.9%
Interest coverage 6.8x 7.9x –
Current ratio 1.0x 1.0x 0.9x
Quick ratio 0.0x 0.4x 0.7x
Cash ratio 0.0x 0.1x 0.4x
Altman Z-score 0.73 3.48 1.98

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricICENDAQVERX
Dividend yield 1.3% 1.1% –
Net buyback yield 2.3% 2.5% 1.9%
Shareholder yield 3.6% 3.6% 1.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) 27.8% – –
Payout ratio (FCF) 22.5% – –
Dividend growth (1Y) 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.

ConsensusICENDAQVERX
Forward P/E 17.9xFY2026 25.9xFY2026 19.0xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $8.69FY2026 $4.03FY2026 $0.78FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +25.0%FY2026 +15.8%FY2026 +21.9%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -3.2% +11.2% +38.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $10.54BFY2026 $6.10BFY2026 $795.75MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +6.1%FY2026 +16.1%FY2026 +6.3%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +16.0% +13.7% +17.3%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersICENDAQVERX
Held by institutions 92.5% 83.8% 93.3%
Institutions holding 1,653 1,082 229
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.4% +1.0% -7.0%
Institutions buying 735 538 135
Institutions selling 694 397 69
Buyers to sellers 1.06 1.36 1.96

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.

ICENDAQVERX
ICE 1.00 0.64 0.43
NDAQ 0.64 1.00 0.47
VERX 0.43 0.47 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ICE, NDAQ and VERX?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is the largest by market capitalisation: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) $87.36B, Nasdaq (NDAQ) $58.95B, Vertex (VERX) $2.38B.

Which stock is cheaper, ICE, NDAQ and VERX?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 21.6x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.3x, Vertex (VERX) 665.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is cheapest (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 17.9x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 25.9x, Vertex (VERX) 19.0x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Nasdaq (NDAQ) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) +6.9%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +11.5%, Vertex (VERX) +10.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has the highest net margin (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 30.1%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 22.8%, Vertex (VERX) 0.5%). On return on invested capital, Nasdaq (NDAQ) leads (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 8.5%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 10.5%, Vertex (VERX) 0.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Nasdaq (NDAQ) returned the most: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) -2.8%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +17.5%, Vertex (VERX) -42.3%. Over five years, Nasdaq (NDAQ) compounded fastest (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) +2.8%/yr, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +8.6%/yr, Vertex (VERX) -6.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 0.01%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 0.00%, Vertex (VERX) 0.00%. Nasdaq (NDAQ) and Vertex (VERX) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has been the steadiest (Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 25.8%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.5%, Vertex (VERX) 62.4%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

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 5. 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.