ICE Reports Record Trading Volume in March 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 06 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ICE?
Source: Newsfilter
- Record Trading Volume: In March 2026, ICE achieved a total average daily volume (ADV) of 428.9 million contracts, over 70% higher than the previous record set in January 2026, indicating a robust recovery in market demand and reinforcing ICE's leadership in global financial markets.
- Strong Energy Market Performance: The ADV for the energy sector rose by 57% year-over-year, with open interest (OI) increasing by 7%, including a record 72.7 million contracts on March 25, reflecting sustained investor confidence in energy products.
- Surge in Interest Rate Products: Interest rate products saw a staggering 140% year-over-year increase in ADV, with OI up 60%, achieving a record 47.3 million contracts on March 12, highlighting heightened market attention to interest rate fluctuations and validating ICE's liquidity provision capabilities.
- Optimistic Financial Outlook: ICE expects GAAP operating expenses for Q1 2026 to range between $1.280 billion and $1.290 billion, and despite the increase in expenses, strong trading revenues are anticipated to effectively offset these costs, demonstrating confidence in maintaining profitability amid market volatility.
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Analyst Views on ICE
Wall Street analysts forecast ICE stock price to rise
10 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 163.750
Low
174.00
Averages
191.60
High
223.00
Current: 163.750
Low
174.00
Averages
191.60
High
223.00
About ICE
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. provides financial technology and data services across major asset classes, helping its customers access workflow tools that increase transparency and efficiency. Its Exchanges segment operates regulated marketplace technology for the listing, trading and clearing of an array of derivatives contracts and financial securities as well as data and connectivity services related to its exchanges and clearing houses. Its Fixed Income and Data Services segment provides fixed income pricing, reference data, indices, analytics and execution services as well as global credit default swaps (CDS), clearing and multi-asset class data delivery technology. Its Mortgage Technology segment provides a technology platform that offers customers comprehensive, digital workflow tools that aim to address inefficiencies and mitigate risks that exist in the United States residential mortgage market life cycle, from application through closing, servicing and the secondary market.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Market Dynamics: Markets are up on Friday morning after President Trump indicated that the conflict in Iran “should be ending pretty soon,” reflecting investor optimism that could boost trading activity in the short term.
- IPO Launch: Aevex (NYSE: AVEX) successfully debuts on the NYSE, with CEO Roger Wells set to discuss the company's strategy on NYSE Live, which is expected to attract more investor interest and engagement.
- Stock Performance: Madison Air (NYSE: MAIR) saw its shares pop by over 17% on its first day of trading, indicating strong demand and investor confidence, which may pave the way for future fundraising activities.
- Industry Collaboration: Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy CEO Karen Knudsen will elaborate on its collaboration with the Cancer Vaccine Coalition during NYSE Live, highlighting the potential for synergies and innovation within the industry.
See More
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- Overall Performance: Financial exchanges and data providers collectively reported Q4 revenues that exceeded analysts' expectations by 0.8%, demonstrating resilience in the industry amid stable trading fees and subscription revenues, despite facing regulatory and technology investment challenges.
- ICE Financial Highlights: Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) reported revenues of $2.50 billion, up 7.8% year-on-year, surpassing analysts' expectations by 1.2%, although the stock remained flat post-reporting, indicating that the market had likely priced in the results.
- Morningstar's Strong Performance: Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) achieved Q4 revenues of $641.1 million, an 8.5% year-on-year increase, beating analysts' expectations by 2.2%, with the stock rising 16.6%, reflecting a positive market reaction to its robust performance.
- S&P Global Facing Challenges: S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) reported revenues of $3.92 billion, a 9% year-on-year increase, but its full-year EPS guidance significantly missed analysts' expectations, leading to a 3% decline in stock price, indicating market concerns about its future performance.
See More
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- Investigation Launched: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is examining unusual oil futures trades that occurred minutes before Trump's announcement to pause attacks on Iran, indicating market sensitivity to sudden news that could impact investor confidence.
- Volume Surge: Trading volumes spiked sharply in the two weeks leading up to key announcements, particularly after Trump revealed negotiations with Iran, with S&P 500 futures jumping over 2.5% and WTI crude futures tumbling nearly 6%, reflecting the market's volatile reaction.
- Market Integrity Focus: CME Group stated that any investigation should encompass all trading platforms, emphasizing the importance of market integrity, suggesting that regulatory scrutiny on trading activities may influence future trading strategies.
- Political Influence Factors: Senators Warren and Whitehouse have called for the CFTC to investigate these unusual trades, raising questions about potential misuse of nonpublic government information, which could lead to decreased market trust and impact policy transparency.
See More
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- Options Trading History: NYSE Arca Options celebrates its 50th anniversary this month, having continuously served market participants since its inception in 1976, marking its significant role in the options industry.
- Market Leadership: Since 2021, NYSE Arca Options has ranked first in multi-listed electronic trading volume, demonstrating its ability to provide deep liquidity to participants and further solidifying its market leadership.
- Product Expansion Agreement: NYSE recently entered into an agreement with MSCI to become the U.S. options listings venue for benchmark MSCI indexes, enhancing its product offerings and competitive position in the market.
- Technology Platform Upgrade: Following its migration to the NYSE Pillar platform in 2022, NYSE Arca Options has excelled under extreme market conditions, processing over 26 billion messages in April 2025 and achieving a single-day record of over 12 million contracts traded, showcasing the efficiency and resilience of its technology.
See More
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- Call for Investigation: Congressman Ritchie Torres from New York has urged a federal probe into suspicious trading activities just before President Trump's announcement to pause attacks on Iran, suggesting it could be one of the largest insider trading instances in history.
- Trading Anomalies: Over $500 million in crude oil futures trades occurred in the 15 minutes leading up to Trump's announcement, indicating an abnormal surge in trading volume predicting a decline in oil prices and a rebound in equity markets.
- Legislative Proposal: Torres introduced legislation in January to prohibit federal officials from trading event contracts based on government policy when possessing material nonpublic information, although its passage in the Republican-controlled House seems unlikely.
- Crisis of Trust in Regulators: Torres expressed a lack of confidence in market regulators, emphasizing the need for accountability and urging the SEC and CFTC not to overlook what may be a significant insider trading case.
See More
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- Regulatory Pressure: House Democrats sent a letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig questioning the agency's lack of action against offshore prediction markets related to war and government actions, highlighting growing concerns over insider trading.
- Insider Trading Concerns: Recent allegations of insider trading linked to U.S. government actions, particularly regarding Venezuela and Iran, have prompted lawmakers to demand stricter measures from the CFTC to ensure market fairness and transparency.
- Frequent Legislative Actions: Democrats have introduced several bills aimed at restricting trading on certain event contracts, especially those involving sports, government actions, and war, reflecting heightened vigilance regarding the potential risks of prediction markets.
- Policy Ban Implementation: Rep. Seth Moulton announced a ban on his office staff using prediction markets, further underscoring lawmakers' regulatory needs and emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance on insider trading.
See More
