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Nasdaq, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue rose 15%: Net revenue was $1.5 billion, up 15% on both reported and adjusted bases from $1,306 million a year earlier. Adjusted growth excludes a one-time Index contract benefit. Source
  • Solutions revenue rose 17%: Solutions revenue, which combines Capital Access Platforms and Financial Technology, grew 17% on reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • EPS rose on both GAAP and non-GAAP bases: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.89, up 14%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.07, up 25% on both reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • Financial Technology grew double digits: Financial Technology revenue was $539 million, up 16%, or 15% on an organic basis. Each of its subdivisions grew by double digits for a second consecutive quarter. Source
  • Index revenue up 38%: Index revenue was $271 million, up 38%, or 35% on an adjusted basis. Adjusted growth excludes a one-time revenue benefit from a contract modification in the quarter. Source
  • Record net inflows in the quarter: Net inflows reached an all-time high of $51 billion in the quarter and $109 billion over the trailing twelve months. Source
  • Record listing proceeds led by SpaceX: Quarterly listing proceeds were a record, led by SpaceX's $86 billion raise, the largest IPO in exchange history. Source
  • Closing Cross set Russell record: During the Russell reconstitution, Closing Cross executed 4.6 billion shares in 1.6 seconds, a record $334 billion in notional value. June triple witching set a record $296 billion. Source
  • FinTech signings and upsells: Financial Technology signed 58 new clients, 7 cross-sells and 107 upsells in the quarter. Cross-sells made up over 15% of the sales pipeline. Source
  • $530 million returned to shareholders: The company returned $174 million through dividends and $356 million through repurchases of common stock in the quarter. Source
  • Two portfolio deals pending close: Early in the third quarter, Nasdaq agreed to sell Fund Secondaries to Nasdaq Private Market and to acquire Dasseti. Both are subject to customary closing conditions. Source
  • Tokenized collateral trades on Canton: Two asset managers completed tokenized collateral trades on the Canton Network, transmitting tokenized money market funds through Calypso, early in the third quarter. Source

“Nasdaq delivered an outstanding second quarter, defined by new records and milestones.”

Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Non-GAAP operating expenses Sourcefull year 2026$2.530 billion to $2.570 billionRaised from $2.485 billion to $2.545 billion
Non-GAAP tax rate Sourcefull year 202622.5% to 24.5%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The non-GAAP operating expense range for 2026 moved up at both ends, to $2.530 billion to $2.570 billion from $2.485 billion to $2.545 billion. Source
  • Guidance kept: The non-GAAP tax rate range for 2026 was maintained at 22.5% to 24.5%. Source
  • New: Early in the third quarter, Nasdaq agreed to sell Nasdaq Fund Secondaries to Nasdaq Private Market. Source
  • New: Early in the third quarter, Nasdaq agreed to acquire Dasseti, an AI-powered due diligence platform, for integration into eVestment. Source
  • New: The SEC approved Nasdaq's listing of event options tied to the Nasdaq-100, with launch expected in the fourth quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net revenue rose 15%: Net revenue was $1.5 billion, up 15% on both reported and adjusted bases from $1,306 million a year earlier. Adjusted growth excludes a one-time Index contract benefit. Source
  • Solutions revenue rose 17%: Solutions revenue, which combines Capital Access Platforms and Financial Technology, grew 17% on reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • EPS rose on both GAAP and non-GAAP bases: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.89, up 14%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.07, up 25% on both reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • ARR grew 11% reported, 12% organic: ARR was $3.3 billion, growing 11% on a reported basis and 12% on an organic basis. Annualized SaaS revenue was 38% of ARR, per the release. Source

Segments and revenue lines

  • Capital Access Platforms revenue up 19%: Capital Access Platforms revenue grew 19% on a reported basis and 18% on an adjusted basis. Its ARR grew 8% on both reported and organic bases. Source
  • Financial Technology grew double digits: Financial Technology revenue was $539 million, up 16%, or 15% on an organic basis. Each of its subdivisions grew by double digits for a second consecutive quarter. Source
  • Market Services net revenue up 11%: Market Services net revenue was $340 million, up 11% on both reported and organic bases versus the prior year period. Source
  • Other revenue ended after divestiture: Other revenues were nil in the quarter, against $16 million a year earlier, as the Solovis business sold in October 2025 is now reported in Other for prior periods. Source

“Nasdaq's second quarter results mark another quarter of excellent Solutions revenue growth, expanding operating margins, strong EPS growth, and robust cash flow generation.”

Sarah Youngwood, Executive Vice President and CFO

Index and ETP franchise

  • Index revenue up 38%: Index revenue was $271 million, up 38%, or 35% on an adjusted basis. Adjusted growth excludes a one-time revenue benefit from a contract modification in the quarter. Source
  • ETP AUM passed $1 trillion: Period-end ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes was $1.114 trillion and average AUM was $1.014 trillion, the first time above $1 trillion. Source
  • Record net inflows in the quarter: Net inflows reached an all-time high of $51 billion in the quarter and $109 billion over the trailing twelve months. Source
  • 34 new index products launched: Nasdaq launched 34 new Index products in the quarter, including 17 international products and 11 in the institutional annuity space. Source

Listings franchise

  • Record listing proceeds led by SpaceX: Quarterly listing proceeds were a record, led by SpaceX's $86 billion raise, the largest IPO in exchange history. Source
  • Seven of top ten IPOs listed: Nasdaq welcomed 7 of the top 10 largest operating company IPOs in the quarter, and reported a 74% win rate across eligible new operating company listings. Source
  • SK hynix ADR listed early Q3: Management said the listing of SK hynix early in the third quarter, the largest ADR listing in U.S. capital markets history, continued the franchise's momentum. Source

“Nasdaq’s durable business model and consistent execution support our disciplined capital allocation strategy that returns meaningful capital to shareholders through both dividends and share repurchases”

Sarah Youngwood, Executive Vice President and CFO

Market Services and trading volumes

  • Closing Cross set Russell record: During the Russell reconstitution, Closing Cross executed 4.6 billion shares in 1.6 seconds, a record $334 billion in notional value. June triple witching set a record $296 billion. Source
  • Market Services volumes at records: Market Services reported record quarterly net revenues and U.S. equity options volumes, which management tied to record industry volumes and the SpaceX IPO execution. Source
  • Index options revenue doubled again: Index options revenue more than doubled year-over-year, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of that growth. Source

Financial Technology client activity

  • FinTech signings and upsells: Financial Technology signed 58 new clients, 7 cross-sells and 107 upsells in the quarter. Cross-sells made up over 15% of the sales pipeline. Source
  • Verafin enterprise signings exceed 2025: Nasdaq Verafin signed 47 SMB clients and 6 enterprise deals in the quarter. Its year-to-date enterprise signings, including early Q3, exceed the full 2025 total. Source
  • Agentic Workforce reached 750 clients: The Agentic Workforce now has 750 clients, and Verafin introduced the Agentic AML Analyst and Agentic Fraud Analyst. Source
  • Regulatory Technology wins across products: Regulatory Technology signed 9 new clients and 63 upsells, including a new regulator win in Africa for Surveillance and 24 upsells for AxiomSL. Source
  • Capital Markets Technology organic growth: Capital Markets Technology grew organic revenue 14% and organic ARR 17%. Calypso signed a deal to modernize Georgia's treasury infrastructure for five large banks. Source

Costs and margins

  • Non-GAAP expenses rose 10%: Non-GAAP operating expenses were $641 million, up 10% on both bases. GAAP operating expenses were $788 million, up 7%, with lower merger and strategic initiatives expense offsetting part of the increase. Source
  • Cost growth from pay, marketing and tech: Management attributed the cost increase to higher compensation tied to revenue execution, higher marketing linked to the IPO environment, and technology investment. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin rose to 57%: Non-GAAP operating margin was 57%, against 55% a year earlier. GAAP operating margin was 47%, against 44%. Source
  • Interest expense declined: Interest expense was $86 million in the quarter, compared with $95 million a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow of $711 million: Cash flow from operations was $711 million in the quarter, which management said enables capital return under its allocation framework. Source
  • $530 million returned to shareholders: The company returned $174 million through dividends and $356 million through repurchases of common stock in the quarter. Source
  • Dividend per share raised to $0.31: Dividends declared per common share were $0.31 in the quarter, against $0.27 a year earlier. Source
  • Buyback authorization at $2.5 billion: $2.5 billion remained under the board's repurchase authorization at June 30, 2026, against $2.9 billion at March 31, 2026. The company also net repaid $162 million of debt. Source
  • Section 31 fees payable to SEC: The balance sheet shows $313 million of Section 31 fees payable to the SEC at June 30, 2026, with none at December 31, 2025. Source

Portfolio, products and strategy

  • Two portfolio deals pending close: Early in the third quarter, Nasdaq agreed to sell Fund Secondaries to Nasdaq Private Market and to acquire Dasseti. Both are subject to customary closing conditions. Source
  • Dasseti to join eVestment platform: Dasseti offers an AI-powered due diligence platform and will be integrated into eVestment's institutional intelligence platform. Nasdaq keeps a stake in Nasdaq Private Market after the sale. Source
  • Tokenized collateral trades on Canton: Two asset managers completed tokenized collateral trades on the Canton Network, transmitting tokenized money market funds through Calypso, early in the third quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 23 July 2026

  • Two agreed deals await closing: Management said both the Fund Secondaries sale and the Dasseti acquisition remain subject to customary closing conditions. Source
  • Event options launch in fourth quarter: Nasdaq expects to launch Nasdaq-100 event options in the fourth quarter of 2026, following SEC approval. Source
  • 23/5 trading go-live date: Management said it plans to go live with 23/5 trading on December 6, 2026. This was stated in the first quarter release.

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Licensed exchange traded products Source481
Listed companies on The Nasdaq Stock Market Source4,659
Total new listings, The Nasdaq Stock Market, second quarter Source188
Total industry average daily U.S. equity options volume Source66.5 million
Matched share volume, U.S.-listed securities Source184.5 billion
Total Financial Technology ARR Source$1,870 million

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Management described the regulatory and risk environment as increasingly complex, alongside AI and market modernization. Source
  • Operational: Closing of the Fund Secondaries sale and the Dasseti acquisition depends on customary closing conditions. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Restructuring actions were completed by December 31, 2025, and all program costs were incurred by June 30, 2026. Source
  • Met: Management said the launch of BlackRock and State Street Nasdaq-100 ETFs expanded investor access, following the partnerships announced in the first quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Management expects the event options on the Nasdaq-100 to launch in the fourth quarter, after SEC approval. 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.