Intercontinental Exchange Inc. - ICE STOCK NEWS

In December 2020, average interest rates on 30-year loans dropped to 2.93%, encouraging refinancing among millennials, which rose to 46% of all loans. While the time to close a loan increased to an average of 52 days, older millennials (30-40 years) accounted for 53% of refinancing, compared to 26% for younger millennials (21-29 years). The average interest rate for younger millennials was 2.90%, slightly lower than that of older millennials. The ICE Mortgage Technology Millennial Tracker provides ongoing insights into millennial mortgage trends.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) announced a 10% increase in its first quarter 2021 dividend to $0.33 per share, up from $0.30 in 2020. The dividend will be paid on March 31, 2021, to stockholders of record as of March 17, 2021. The ex-dividend date is March 16, 2021. ICE anticipates an annual total dividend of $1.32 per share for 2021, representing an aggregate payout of approximately $745 million.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) reported its 2020 financial results, achieving net revenues of $6.0 billion, a 16% increase year-over-year. The company posted a GAAP diluted EPS of $3.77 and an adjusted EPS of $4.51, both up 16% year-over-year. ICE returned over $1.9 billion to stockholders via share repurchases and dividends. The impressive performance is attributed to strong business models and successful acquisitions, notably the $11 billion acquisition of Ellie Mae. Fourth quarter earnings showed a net income of $526 million on revenues of $1.7 billion.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) reported significant trading volume growth for January 2021. Key highlights include a 4% year-over-year increase in Energy Open Interest (OI), with notable rises in Henry Hub and TTF natural gas average daily volume (ADV). Equities and Interest Rates also saw substantial growth, particularly SONIA ADV rising 291% and NYSE Cash Equities up 67%. The complete trading volume statistics are available on their investor relations website.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) has announced the launch of a new webpage by its ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) to facilitate the transition to new U.S. Dollar interest rate benchmarks. The page features daily reference rates, including ICE Bank Yield Index rates, ICE Term SOFR rates, and Tradeweb ICE CMT rates, along with historical test results. IBA's President Tim Bowler emphasized the webpage's role in aiding market participants to transition contracts from U.S. Dollar LIBOR.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) reported record trading activity in its TTF and JKM LNG (Platts) natural gas benchmarks amid market volatility. Key highlights include:

• TTF Futures achieving record open interest of 1.9 million contracts on January 27.
• Daily volume surpassing 347,500 contracts on January 12.
• Monthly volume reaching approximately 4 million contracts in January, eclipsing previous records.
• JKM LNG (Platts) open interest hitting 125,000 contracts on January 14.

This surge reflects the increasing reliance on exchange-based trading for transparency and risk management.

In December 2020, interest rates hit a historic low, with the 30-year note at 2.93%, marking the lowest since 2014. The average rates for FHA and Conventional loans were 2.94% and 2.96%, respectively, while VA loans fell to 2.66%. Refinances made up 60% of closed loans, a significant increase from 46% in December 2019. Average FICO scores dipped slightly to 751, and the time to close loans rose to 58 days. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, ICE Mortgage Technology continued to adapt through digital solutions.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) announced updates on ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD), planning to launch ICE Murban Crude Oil Futures on March 29, 2021, pending regulatory approvals. The Bank of England and the Monetary Authority of Singapore have granted necessary approvals, allowing direct access to IFAD from several jurisdictions, including the US and Japan. The futures market aims to leverage ICE's global energy network and partnerships, providing various cash-settled derivatives to enhance trading efficiency.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) and ADP (NASDAQ:ADP) have revealed plans to launch a new alternative data offering for the U.S. municipal bond market. This initiative combines ICE's expertise in municipal bond pricing with ADP's workforce data to enhance transparency and insights for investors. Available through the Snowflake Data Marketplace, this data aims to improve understanding of municipal bond issuers' creditworthiness, addressing challenges related to data scarcity and consistency in the market.