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Intercontinental Exchange vs Nasdaq: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Intercontinental Exchange carrying a narrow edge on valuation. The remaining gap is narrow enough that the comparison remains open to different readings. The market setup is currently leaning toward Nasdaq, which does not confirm the structural lead. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with Intercontinental Exchange, but the market is not currently confirming it.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Valuation still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Financial Data & Stock Exchanges

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. ICE and NDAQ share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Intercontinental Exchange and Nasdaq each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
ICE
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
61
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
NDAQ
Nasdaq, Inc.
57
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: ICE vs NDAQ Profitability 62 63 Stability 53 59 Valuation 75 57 Growth 46 48 ICE NDAQ
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +18
#2 Stability +6
#3 Growth +2
#4 Profitability +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ICE and NDAQ Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ICENDAQ Relative valuation Structural strength

Structure stays fairly close here, while current pricing still looks more supportive for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ICE and NDAQ each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ICE Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 25 pct gap NDAQ Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 74th 98th
Today ICE sits in the upper-middle of its own 5-year history (74th percentile), while NDAQ sits higher in its own history (98th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, ICE is at a historically more favourable entry position than NDAQ. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both look solid on valuation, though Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. still holds the stronger peer position.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
ICE
75
NDAQ
57
Gap+18in favour of ICE

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 3.2 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Nasdaq, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is visible, but pricing still does more of the work than the broader operating profile.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ICE vs NDAQ comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-and-stability comparisons

Explore how ICE and NDAQ each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.