Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $182.47.

ICE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Intercontinental Exchange from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $237.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $190.00 to $189.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Intercontinental Exchange from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th.

Insider Activity at Intercontinental Exchange

In other Intercontinental Exchange news, Director Judith A. Sprieser sold 2,630 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total transaction of $418,170.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,364 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,396,876. This represents a 10.96 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, President Benjamin Jackson sold 7,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.43, for a total transaction of $1,354,297.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 147,274 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,247,181.82. The trade was a 5.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 62,931 shares of company stock valued at $10,492,868. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ICE. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Intercontinental Exchange by 116.7% in the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Menard Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 595.8% in the first quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 167 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Intercontinental Exchange in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. 89.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Intercontinental Exchange Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ICE traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $158.34. The stock had a trading volume of 2,742,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,920,905. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99. The firm's 50 day moving average is $167.27 and its 200-day moving average is $160.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.09. Intercontinental Exchange has a 1 year low of $124.34 and a 1 year high of $177.45.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.01). Intercontinental Exchange had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 23.42%. Research analysts predict that Intercontinental Exchange will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Intercontinental Exchange Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Intercontinental Exchange's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.17%.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for financial institutions, corporations, and government entities in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi, Israel, and Canada.