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Nasdaq, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue rose 13% to $5.2 billion: Full-year 2025 net revenue was $5.249 billion, up 13%, or 12% on an adjusted basis. Fourth-quarter net revenue was $1.392 billion, up 13% on reported and organic bases. Source
  • Market Services net revenue up 16%: Market Services net revenue was $311 million in the fourth quarter, up 16%, and $1.201 billion for 2025, up 18%. Management cited industry volumes in U.S. cash equities and U.S. equity derivatives at new highs. Source
  • Index net inflows hit $35 billion: Index net inflows were $35 billion in the fourth quarter and $99 billion over the trailing twelve months, both at the highest levels reported. Source
  • Listings raised over $24 billion in IPOs: Operating-company IPOs raised over $24 billion in 2025. Medline was the largest IPO of the year, and Verisure was the largest European IPO. Nasdaq was the top U.S. exchange by proceeds raised for a seventh consecutive year. Source
  • 2026 operating expense guidance initiated: Non-GAAP operating expenses for 2026 are guided to $2.455 billion to $2.535 billion, and the non-GAAP tax rate to 22.5% to 24.5%. Source
  • Operating cash flow reached $2.3 billion: Cash flow from operations was $2.3 billion for 2025 and $625 million for the fourth quarter. Management said this enabled capital return under the company's capital allocation framework. Source
  • 23/5 trading planned for second half 2026: Management announced a plan to bring 23/5 trading to The Nasdaq Stock Market in the second half of 2026. Source

“It was an excellent year of execution for Nasdaq, as we achieved strong organic growth, accelerated innovation, and successfully delivered across our three strategic priorities: Integrate, Innovate, and Accelerate.”

Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Non-GAAP operating expenses Source2026$2.455 billion to $2.535 billionNew
Non-GAAP tax rate Source202622.5% to 24.5%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The company started 2026 non-GAAP operating expense guidance at $2.455 billion to $2.535 billion. Source
  • New guidance: The company started 2026 non-GAAP tax rate guidance at 22.5% to 24.5%. Source
  • New: The Solovis business was sold in October 2025 and its revenue and ARR were moved into Other for prior periods. Source
  • New: Management announced a plan to bring 23/5 trading to The Nasdaq Stock Market in the second half of 2026. Source
  • New: Private market data distribution was expanded through partnerships with LSEG and Juniper Square. Source
  • Ended: Actions under the efficiency program were completed by December 31, 2025, though certain costs may still be recognized in the first half of 2026. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Net revenue rose 13% to $5.2 billion: Full-year 2025 net revenue was $5.249 billion, up 13%, or 12% on an adjusted basis. Fourth-quarter net revenue was $1.392 billion, up 13% on reported and organic bases. Source
  • Solutions revenue rose 12% to $4.0 billion: Solutions revenue was $4.011 billion for 2025, up 12%, or 11% adjusted. Fourth-quarter Solutions revenue was $1.071 billion, up 13%, or 12% organic, with growth from Index and Financial Technology. Source
  • Earnings per share grew on both measures: GAAP diluted EPS was $3.09 for 2025, up 60%, and $0.90 for the fourth quarter, up 47%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $3.48 for 2025, up 24%, and $0.96 for the fourth quarter, up 27%. Source
  • ARR reached $3.1 billion, up 10%: ARR was $3.051 billion, up 10% on reported and organic bases. Annualized SaaS revenue rose 11%, or 13% organic, and was 38% of ARR. Financial Technology ARR rose 14%. Source

Segments and divisions

  • Market Services net revenue up 16%: Market Services net revenue was $311 million in the fourth quarter, up 16%, and $1.201 billion for 2025, up 18%. Management cited industry volumes in U.S. cash equities and U.S. equity derivatives at new highs. Source
  • Financial Technology revenue up 14%: Financial Technology revenue was $498 million in the fourth quarter, up 14%. Capital Markets Technology was $294 million, Regulatory Technology $113 million and Financial Crime Management Technology $91 million. Source
  • Capital Access Platforms ARR up 8%: Capital Access Platforms revenue was $572 million in the fourth quarter, against $504 million a year earlier, and $2.137 billion for 2025. Capital Access ARR was $1.340 billion. Source

“In 2025, Nasdaq delivered outstanding financial results, underscoring the durability and differentiation of our business model.”

Sarah Youngwood, Executive Vice President and CFO

Products, clients and wins

  • Financial Technology signed 129 new clients: Financial Technology signed 129 new clients, 143 upsells and 12 cross-sells in the fourth quarter, and 291 new clients, 462 upsells and 25 cross-sells for 2025. Total cross-sells since the Adenza acquisition reached 42. Source
  • Verafin added small bank and enterprise clients: Verafin added 119 small-and-medium bank clients and 3 Enterprise deals in the fourth quarter. Total Enterprise signings for the year were over four times the prior year on both number of signings and annualized contract value. Source
  • Regulatory Technology added 10 clients: Regulatory Technology added 10 new clients, including 5 cross-sells, and 76 upsells in the fourth quarter. For 2025 it added 35 new clients, including 12 cross-sells, and 245 upsells. AxiomSL deepened its partnership with Revolut. Source
  • Calypso reached 24 central banks: Calypso ended the year with 24 central banks, 3 of them signed in the fourth quarter. Capital Markets Technology signed 9 new clients, including 5 cross-sells, and 67 upsells in the quarter. Source
  • Index launched 122 new products: Index launched 122 new products in 2025, nearly half of them international, including 32 in the institutional insurance annuity space. Source

Index flows and listings demand

  • Index net inflows hit $35 billion: Index net inflows were $35 billion in the fourth quarter and $99 billion over the trailing twelve months, both at the highest levels reported. Source
  • ETP assets under management reached $882 billion: Period-end ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes was $882 billion. Average ETP AUM in the fourth quarter was $860 billion, both new quarterly highs. Source
  • Listings raised over $24 billion in IPOs: Operating-company IPOs raised over $24 billion in 2025. Medline was the largest IPO of the year, and Verisure was the largest European IPO. Nasdaq was the top U.S. exchange by proceeds raised for a seventh consecutive year. Source

“We delivered strong growth across our platform, expanded operating leverage, and generated robust cash flow.”

Sarah Youngwood, Executive Vice President and CFO

Costs, margins and efficiency

  • 2026 operating expense guidance initiated: Non-GAAP operating expenses for 2026 are guided to $2.455 billion to $2.535 billion, and the non-GAAP tax rate to 22.5% to 24.5%. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses rose 8%: Fourth-quarter non-GAAP operating expenses were $609 million, up 10%, or 8% organic. Management attributed the increases to organic investment in technology and people. Source
  • GAAP operating expenses rose 2%: GAAP operating expenses were $762 million in the fourth quarter, up 7%. For the year, merger and strategic initiative expense rose, partly offset by lower restructuring and general, administrative and other costs. Source
  • Operating leverage across the platform: Non-GAAP operating income was $2.918 billion for 2025, up 16%, and $783 million in the fourth quarter, up 17%. The CFO cited expanded operating leverage in the year. Source
  • Efficiency program passed net expense target: More than $160 million of expense efficiencies had been actioned by year-end 2025 under the expanded efficiency program, above its net expense target. Source

Cash flow and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow reached $2.3 billion: Cash flow from operations was $2.3 billion for 2025 and $625 million for the fourth quarter. Management said this enabled capital return under the company's capital allocation framework. Source
  • Capital returned through dividends and buybacks: Fourth-quarter returns were $153 million in dividends and $286 million in repurchases. As of December 31, 2025, $1.1 billion remained under the board repurchase authorization. Source
  • $826 million of debt repaid in 2025: The company repaid $826 million of debt in 2025, including $100 million of senior unsecured notes in the fourth quarter. Long-term debt was $8.573 billion at December 31, 2025. Source

Strategy, portfolio and new initiatives

  • Solovis business sold in October: The fourth-quarter net gain of $49 million reflects the Solovis sale. The full-year net gain of $86 million also includes sales of the Nordic power futures and Risk Modelling for Catastrophes businesses. Source
  • 23/5 trading planned for second half 2026: Management announced a plan to bring 23/5 trading to The Nasdaq Stock Market in the second half of 2026. Source
  • Private market data distribution expanded: eVestment private markets datasets will be delivered through the LSEG platform. eVestment institutional intelligence will reach over 2,000 private market general partners through Juniper Square. Source
  • Tokenized securities filing with SEC: Among 2025 initiatives, Nasdaq submitted a filing to the SEC to facilitate trading of tokenized securities on its markets. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 January 2026

  • Investor Day on February 25, 2026: Presentations on operations and strategy, followed by a question and answer session with Adena Friedman and Sarah Youngwood, are scheduled for the 2026 Investor Day. Source
  • 23/5 trading in second half 2026: Management plans to bring 23/5 trading to The Nasdaq Stock Market in the second half of 2026. Source
  • Efficiency program costs into 2026: Certain costs of the efficiency program may be recognized in the first half of 2026, with benefits expected mainly as expense synergies. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Period-end ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes Source$882 billion
Trailing twelve-month net inflows, Index ETP AUM Source$99 billion
Number of licensed exchange traded products Source451
Central banks using Calypso Source24
Small-and-medium bank clients added by Nasdaq Verafin, fourth quarter Source119

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the expanded efficiency program surpassed its net expense target, with over $160 million of expense efficiencies actioned by year-end 2025. Source
  • Met: Management stated that actions under the efficiency program were completed as of December 31, 2025. Source
  • Not stated: Management expects the efficiency program to deliver benefits primarily as expense synergies; no realized figure is given. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.