Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE) is ready to sizzle, riding a wave of structural tailwinds and cyclical recoveries that promise substantial gains. As a key player in the financial and commodities markets, the exchange promises an exciting growth trajectory that investors won't want to miss.
Goldman Sachs Upgrade: A Strong Buy
Goldman Sachs' analyst Alexander Blostein has upgraded Intercontinental stock to a Buy from Neutral, setting a 12-month price target of $167, indicating a potential 22% upside from a price of $136.89.
Anticipated earnings per share (EPS) growth backs this optimistic forecast. After experiencing less than 10% EPS growth over the past three years, Blostein expects Intercontinental's EPS to climb into the low teens by 2025 and beyond.
Energy Markets: Driving Force Behind Growth
Blostein expects the energy market to fuel over 25% revenue growth for the exchange in 2024, with an estimated 8%-10% growth in subsequent years. The market alone, account for about 30% of Intercontinental's earnings.
Intercontinental's robust performance in energy is driven by the globalization of natural gas and LNG and a broadening customer base. The firm's success with new products and a favorable revenue per contract (RPC) mix shift are further enhancing its growth.
A 30% increase in open interest across oil and natural gas has driven Intercontinental stock's recent gains, noted Blostein. This indicates strong product adoption even amid lower energy volatility.
AI-driven demand for power should provide additional tailwinds over the long-term to the exchange's natural gas growth strategy.
Read Also: Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts Weigh In On 3 Energy Stocks With Over 6% Dividend Yields
Promising Signs – Fixed Income, Mortgage Segments
Blostein also highlights promising developments in the company's fixed-income data and analytics segment, which makes up about 22% of its earnings. The firm's annual subscription value (ASV) is recovering and flows into fixed-income funds are rebounding year-to-date, signaling accelerated growth in this area.
The mortgage technology segment, accounting for 16% of earnings, is emerging from a "cyclical trough". With origination activity stabilizing and Intercontinental's organic initiatives gaining momentum, Blostein anticipates high single-digit to low double-digit revenue growth in 2025 and 2026.
Up Ahead – Margin Expansion, Share Repurchases
Bolstein expects Intercontinental's high-margin exchange revenues to support an approximate 100 basis point annual expansion in operating margins.
Coupled with strong free cash flow conversion, this is likely to speed up de-leveraging and bolster share repurchases by the end of 2024.
A Compelling Investment Opportunity
Intercontinental's strategic position and growth prospects make it a compelling buy for investors looking to capitalize on the upcoming surge.
Overall, Intercontinental Exchange appears set to deliver substantial returns, on the back of:
- Structural tailwinds in energy,
- Recovery in fixed income and
- Stabilization in mortgage technology.
- Bye-Bye NYSE, Nasdaq? Wall Street Bigwigs BlackRock, Citadel Securities Lead Charge For New 'Apolitical,' 'CEO-Friendly' Stock Exchange In Texas