Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $4.76 Million in Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 31,926 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,757,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 35,151 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,647,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 73,970 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,022,000 after acquiring an additional 4,787 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 33.2% in the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 46,689 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,500,000 after acquiring an additional 11,648 shares during the period. Avantra Family Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange in the 4th quarter worth approximately $702,000. Finally, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 728,133 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $108,515,000 after acquiring an additional 61,110 shares during the period. 89.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Intercontinental Exchange Price Performance

ICE stock opened at $172.64 on Wednesday. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has a 52-week low of $124.34 and a 52-week high of $175.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $162.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $159.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.08.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.01). Intercontinental Exchange had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 23.42%. Equities research analysts expect that Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. will post 6.73 EPS for the current year.

Intercontinental Exchange Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Intercontinental Exchange’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CTO Mayur Kapani sold 5,661 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.59, for a total value of $835,506.99. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 66,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,821,819.32. This trade represents a 7.84 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Christopher Scott Edmonds sold 601 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.73, for a total value of $88,785.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,922 shares in the company, valued at $1,908,967.06. This trade represents a 4.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 66,563 shares of company stock valued at $10,998,990. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ICE has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Intercontinental Exchange from $190.00 to $189.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Intercontinental Exchange from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays increased their target price on Intercontinental Exchange from $179.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group increased their target price on Intercontinental Exchange from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Intercontinental Exchange from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intercontinental Exchange currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $178.80.

Intercontinental Exchange Company Profile

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.