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Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 delivered record net revenues of $1.48B and diluted EPS of $0.51, with pretax margin at 75% as reported and adjusted . Commission revenue rose 27% to $516M on higher trading volumes; net interest income increased 9% to $860M, including a one-time $26M tax credit recovery .
- Results were above Wall Street consensus: EPS $0.51 vs $0.469*, and net revenues $1.48B vs $1.395B*, driven by strong DARTs, securities lending, and higher segregated cash balances. Net interest benefited from lower interest expense on customer cash as global rates declined .
- Business KPIs were strong: customer accounts +32% YoY to ~3.87M, equity +34% to $664.6B, DARTs +49% to 3.55M, credit balances +34% to $143.7B, margin loans +18% to $65.1B .
- Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share (post-split), payable Sept 12, consistent with the split-adjusted increase announced last quarter ($0.32 pre-split) . Management emphasized scalability, overnight trading growth, and product innovation (Investment Themes; Forecast Contracts expansion) as ongoing catalysts .
Note: Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record financials: “We again produced record net revenues and pretax income… net interest income also reached a quarterly record of $860 million” .
- Trading and client metrics: Options/futures set quarterly volume records; DARTs reached ~3.6M (+49% YoY). “Our client trading volumes expanding for stocks, options and futures… commission revenue increased by 27%” .
- Platform scalability and AI: “We enhanced our ATS… handle large spikes in volume by up to 20 times… judicious inclusion of artificial intelligence is the heart of what we do” .
What Went Wrong
- Other fees and services fell 9% YoY to $62M due to lower risk exposure fees, partly offset by FDIC sweep fees .
- SEC fee mid-quarter reduction to zero mechanically lowered commission per order and execution costs, creating headline compression in transaction metrics; however, profitability unaffected as the fee is a pass-through .
- Crypto market share remains below management’s expectations despite lower pricing; IBKR plans asset transfer support and staking to improve competitiveness .
Financial Results
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
Segment/revenue composition (reported):
- Non-interest income: Commissions $516M; Other fees/services $62M; Other income $42M .
- Net interest income: $860M .
KPIs
Note: Q2 2024 credit/margin balances referenced via YoY changes in release; Q2 2025 absolute values provided.
Guidance Changes
IBKR does not provide formal forward financial guidance; management continues to disclose rate sensitivity and strategic priorities .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We enhanced our ATS… handle large spikes in volume by up to 20 times on high volume days, ensuring we're better equipped for market surges and capable of delivering top tier execution” .
- “Quarterly commissions, net interest, total net revenue and pretax income were all records… pretax profit margin was an industry leading 75%” .
- “Net interest income… reached a record $860 million… recognized a one-time credit of $26 million related to recovery of taxes withheld at source” .
- “Overnight US stock offering is important because we have significant clientele in Europe and Asia… satisfying the appetite of overseas clients” .
- “My disappointment in terms of how much market share we are getting in the crypto space remains… supporting asset transfers should open the doors” .
Q&A Highlights
- Account growth trajectory: Chairman highlighted preference to “overdeliver,” implying conservative public projections; growth remained robust at +32% YoY and strong net new adds (~250k in Q2) .
- Crypto roadmap: IBKR investing via Zero Hash, enabling stablecoin funding, crypto asset transfers, and staking; expansion focused on Europe .
- Tokenized equities vs IBKR offering: Management criticized tokenized stocks (derivatives/OTC, fees, liquidity dislocations) vs IBKR’s real-share 24x5 access via ATS/Blue Ocean .
- Securities lending drivers: Uptick in hard-to-borrow names; IPO/M&A activity modest but improving; potential for continued tailwind if corporate activity increases .
- Rate sensitivity: A 25bp Fed cut estimated to reduce annual NII by ~$73M; 1% cut across benchmarks ~-$335M, partially offset by balance growth .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025 vs consensus: EPS $0.51 vs $0.469* (beat); Net revenues $1.480B vs $1.395B* (beat).
- EPS estimates count: 8*; revenue estimates count: 4*. FY 2025 EPS consensus $2.116*; FY 2026 EPS $2.336*; revenue FY 2025 $6.086B*, FY 2026 $6.546B*.
- Implications: Stronger DARTs, securities lending, and higher segregated balances may lead to upward revisions to revenue/NII trajectories; note that lower global benchmark rates present a headwind to NII, partially offset by growth in balances and lending .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Solid beat on EPS and net revenues, with industry-leading 75% pretax margin; core drivers were volume strength and NII resilience despite rate declines .
- One-time $26M tax credit boosted NII; underlying NII still a record at $834M, underscoring balance sheet leverage to client cash and securities lending .
- Overnight trading and global client growth are structural tailwinds; IBKR’s 24x5 offering and ATS connectivity are differentiators likely to sustain share gains in international trading windows .
- Rate sensitivity is the key macro swing factor: a 1% global cut implies ~$335M annual NII headwind; balancing account growth and lending can offset a portion .
- Transaction economics improving via smart order router rebates and SEC fee pass-through; commission per order down but gross transactional margin attractive (82%) .
- Securities lending momentum and product innovation (Investment Themes; Forecast Contracts) add ancillary revenue levers; watch for IPO/M&A cycles .
- Dividend maintained on split-adjusted basis; balance sheet strong (no long-term debt; equity $18.5B) supporting continued capital return and growth investments .