Buy now: ICE is trading near key support (S1 ~162.3) after technical weakness, while fundamentals/newsflow (record January volumes + new clearing services) support a rebound setup.
Sentiment is net-bullish: options put/call ratios are low (calls favored), and Congress activity is exclusively buys in the last 90 days.
What keeps it from being a “slam dunk”: MACD is still deteriorating and hedge funds have been net sellers—so this is a buy for a bounce/continuation, not a “trend is already up” entry.
Trend/structure: Price (~166) is below the pivot (168.9) and sitting close to support S1=162.3 (next S2=158.3). Resistance levels overhead at R1=175.5 and R2=179.5.
Momentum: MACD histogram -1.23 and expanding negatively → downside momentum is still present (trend not fully repaired yet).
RSI (6): ~31.5 → near “washed-out” levels, consistent with a near-term rebound possibility.
Moving averages: converging MAs → suggests a potential transition zone; a move back above the pivot (~168.9) would improve the technical posture quickly.
Options Data
Bullish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Positioning/sentiment: Both open interest and volume put/call ratios are low → call-side interest dominates, typically a bullish sentiment read.
Volatility pricing: IV 30d ~30.4 vs historical vol 27.9; IV percentile ~93 → options are priced rich (market is anticipating a move / event sensitivity).
Activity: today’s option volume is ~62% of 30-day average (not a panic spike), but open interest looks healthy (total OI ~32.2k).
Technical Summary
Sell
6
Buy
5
Positive Catalysts
can re-rate the stock quickly if transaction/clearing revenues and guidance hold up.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
Institutional flow headwind: Hedge funds are reported as net sellers, with selling amount up ~110% QoQ.
Technical headwind: MACD is still weakening, so price can remain heavy until momentum stabilizes.
Earnings risk is priced: very high IV percentile (~93) implies the market expects a meaningful move around current events/earnings.
Media/earnings framing: earnings preview notes “market challenges,” which can cap upside if guidance is conservative.
Takeaway: modest revenue growth paired with strong earnings growth suggests margin/efficiency improvements and a business model that can scale with higher volumes.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent rating tone: predominantly positive (Buy/Overweight/Equal Weight mix), with targets mostly reaffirmed but slightly trimmed in early January.
Latest changes:
Barclays (2026-01-08): Overweight, PT $182 down from $183.
UBS (2026-01-07): Buy, PT $195 down from $200.
BofA (2025-12-10): Buy, PT $223 up from $218.
Morgan Stanley (2025-12-22): Equal Weight, PT $174 up from $169 (after a prior cut on 2025-11-07 to $169 from $178).
Wall St. pros view (bull case): sustained volume strength, improving volatility/transactional activity, and expanding clearing services support earnings durability.
Wall St. cons view (bear case): some cautious target trims and at least one major “Equal Weight” stance imply upside may be more incremental unless growth accelerates.
Wall Street analysts forecast ICE stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ICE is 191.6 USD with a low forecast of 174 USD and a high forecast of 223 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
10 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast ICE stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ICE is 191.6 USD with a low forecast of 174 USD and a high forecast of 223 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 168.290
Low
174
Averages
191.6
High
223
Current: 168.290
Low
174
Averages
191.6
High
223
TD Cowen
Bill Katz
Buy
maintain
$193 -> $201
AI Analysis
2026-02-06
New
Reason
TD Cowen
Bill Katz
Price Target
$193 -> $201
AI Analysis
2026-02-06
New
maintain
Buy
Reason
TD Cowen analyst Bill Katz raised the firm's price target on IntercontinentalExchange to $201 from $193 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm came off the conference call incrementally constructive reflecting more unified growth across segments; greater comfort against AI disruption; and underlying operating leverage, setting the stage for favorable 2027E.
Barclays
NULL -> Overweight
maintain
$182 -> $193
2026-02-06
New
Reason
Barclays
Price Target
$182 -> $193
2026-02-06
New
maintain
NULL -> Overweight
Reason
Barclays raised the firm's price target on IntercontinentalExchange to $193 from $182 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm updated the company's model post the Q4 report.
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