ICE vs. VIRT: Intercontinental Exchange vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) both belong to the Capital Markets industry, though ICE is classified under Financial Exchanges & Data while VIRT falls under Investment Banking & Brokerage.
| Profile Item | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. | Virtu Financial Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Financial Exchanges & Data | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 96.27 billion USD | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | November 16, 2005 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 18.71% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 18.62% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.59% | 19.25% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 25.87% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.82 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -33.97% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.09M | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.56 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.80 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 14.40%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
14.40%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- ICE
- 14.40%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
57.03%
- VIRT
- 57.03%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 38.14% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
38.14%
- Max
- 62.84%
- ICE
- 38.14%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
17.96%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- VIRT
- 17.96%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 52.77% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
52.77%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- ICE
- 52.77%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
36.32%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- VIRT
- 36.32%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 14.40% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.28% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 38.14% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 52.77% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 7.47% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 20.71% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for VIRT.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 7.47% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.47% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 20.71% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 30.77% | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 1.17% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.78% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
1.17%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- ICE
- 1.17%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- VIRT
- 1.78%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 27.79% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 15.95% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
27.79%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- ICE
- 27.79%
- Median
- 25.77%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
15.95%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- VIRT
- 15.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.17% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 27.79% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 23.47 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for VIRT, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
23.47
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- ICE
- 23.47
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
7.92
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- VIRT
- 7.92
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 3.35 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 8.82 sits in the pricier quartile — ICE costs more per dollar of sales.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
8.82
- Max
- 9.23
- ICE
- 8.82
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- VIRT
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at 3.22 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
ICE
Financial Services industry group
3.22
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- ICE
- 3.22
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- VIRT
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ICE | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 23.47 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.82 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.22 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |