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Published: 2023-01-25 00:00:00 ET
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Exhibit 99.1

 

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MarketAxess Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Results

NEW YORK | January 25, 2023 - MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MKTX), the operator of a leading electronic trading platform for fixed-income securities, and the provider of market data and post-trade services for the global fixed-income markets, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2022.

 

4Q22 financial and operational highlights*

 

•  8% increase in revenues to $177.9 million; includes impact of a 9% decline in total credit average variable transaction fees per million (FPM), driven principally by the lower duration of bonds traded in U.S. high-grade. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, revenues would have increased approximately 10%.

 

•  Record estimated market share across composite corporate bond1 (+210 bps), high-yield (+500 bps), emerging markets2 (+290 bps), Eurobonds (+500 bps) and municipal bonds (+260 bps).

 

•  24% growth in total credit average daily volume (“ADV”) to $12.0 billion, representing the third highest quarter ever.

 

•  7% increase in operating income to $77.7 million and operating margin of 43.7%, in line with the prior year.

 

•  15% increase in diluted EPS to $1.58 on net income of $59.2 million; net income margin of 33.3%.

 

•  10% increase in EBITDA to $95.2 million and EBITDA margin of 53.5%, up from 52.3% in the prior year.

 

•  Record 38% of total credit trading volume was executed via Open Trading®, up from 36% in the prior year. Estimated price improvement3 via Open Trading was approximately $246 million.

 

•  Record 2,068 total active firms, up 10%; record 11,679 total traders, up 6%.

 

Full-year 2022 financial and operational highlights**

 

•  Record revenues of $718.3 million, up 3%; includes impact of a 10% decline in total credit average FPM, driven principally by the lower duration of bonds traded in U.S. high-grade. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, revenues would have increased approximately 4%.

 

•  Record commission revenue across high-yield, emerging markets, Eurobonds, municipal bonds and U.S. Treasuries.

 

•  Record total trading ADV, up 24%, record total credit ADV, up 13%, and record total rates ADV, up 32%; record estimated market share across most major product areas and record ADV across all major product areas.

 

•  Record 36% of total credit trading volume was executed via Open Trading, up from 35% in the prior year. Estimated price improvement3 via Open Trading was approximately $945 million.

  

Rick McVey, Chairman of the Board and CEO of MarketAxess, commented:

 

“We delivered another strong year in 2022 as we executed our growth strategy, driving record revenues, estimated market share and trading volume across most of our product areas, reflecting the powerful benefits of Open Trading, our unique all-to-all liquidity pool.

 

A record 36% of total credit trading volume was executed via Open Trading in 2022 and estimated price improvement3 for our clients was approximately $945 million, well in excess of our total annual revenue.

 

We believe the strong momentum we generated in the quarter with higher average daily volume and market share and an increase in the trading of longer duration bonds, combined with a favorable backdrop for fixed-income in 2023, create an attractive operating environment for our model in 2023.

 

Because of our strong positioning, we believe that it is now the right time for the leadership transition we announced earlier this month. Chris Concannon, a proven leader deeply experienced in electronic markets, will assume the CEO role in April and I will continue to support Chris and the Board in my new role as Executive Chairman. I look forward to continuing our work together.”

 

*

All comparisons versus fourth quarter 2021 unless otherwise noted.

**

All comparisons versus full-year 2021 unless otherwise noted.

Table 1: 4Q22 select financial results

 

$ in millions, except

per share data

(unaudited)

   Revenues   Operating
Income
  Net Income    Diluted EPS   Net Income
Margin (%)
  EBITDA   EBITDA
Margin (%)

4Q22

   $178   $78   $59    $1.58   33.3%   $95   53.5%

4Q21

   $165   $73   $52    $1.37   31.6%   $86   52.3%

% Change

   8%   7%   13%    15%   +170 bps   10%   +120 bps


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Table 1A: 4Q22 trading volume (ADV)

 

                  CREDIT     RATES  

$ in millions

(unaudited)

   US/UK
Trading Days4
     Total
ADV
    Total
Credit
    High-Grade     High-Yield     Emerging
Markets
    Eurobonds     Municipal
Bonds
    Total
Rates
    US Govt.
Bonds
    Agcy./Other
Govt. Bonds
 

4Q22

     61/63      $ 30,424     $ 12,042     $ 5,487     $ 1,805     $ 2,666     $ 1,569     $ 500     $ 18,382     $ 18,026     $ 356  

4Q21

     62/64      $ 29,158     $ 9,711     $ 4,482     $ 1,355     $ 2,590     $ 1,169     $ 107     $ 19,447     $ 19,087     $ 360  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

% Change

        4     24     22     33     3     34     367     (5 %)      (6 %)      (1 %) 

Table 1B: 4Q22 estimated market share

 

     CREDIT     RATES  

(unaudited)

   High-Grade     High-Yield     High-Grade/High-
Yield Combined
    Emerging
Markets2
    Eurobonds     Composite
Corporate Bond1
    Municipals     US Govt.
Bonds
 

4Q22

     21.1     20.5     20.9     31.1     18.2     20.9     5.0     3.1

4Q21

     21.2     15.5     19.5     28.2     13.2     18.8     2.4     2.9
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Bps Change

     (10 ) bps      +500 bps       +140 bps       +290 bps       +500 bps       +210 bps       +260 bps       +20 bps  

4Q22 overview of results

Revenues and trading volume

Credit

 

 

Total credit commission revenue of $153.7 million (including $32.8 million in fixed-distribution fees) increased $12.8 million, or 9%, compared to $140.9 million (including $31.9 million in fixed-distribution fees) in the prior year. The increase in total credit commission revenue was driven principally by higher trading volumes and strong estimated market share gains across most credit products, partially offset by lower average FPM. The decline in average FPM for total credit to $163.87, compared to $180.24 in the fourth quarter of 2021, was mainly due to the lower duration of bonds traded in U.S. high-grade, driven principally by higher bond yields, as well as product mix-shift in other credit products.

 

   

90% of credit volume on the platform was executed by institutional clients.

 

   

Total credit trading ADV of $12.0 billion, up 24%, driven by a 22% increase in U.S. high-grade ADV and strong growth across U.S. high-yield, Eurobonds and municipal bonds product areas.

 

   

Record 20.9% (+210 bps) composite corporate bond estimated market share,1 up from 18.8%.

 

   

22% increase in U.S. high-grade ADV to $5.5 billion with estimated market share of 21.1%.

 

   

Estimated U.S. high-grade TRACE market ADV increased 23%.

 

   

Record U.S. high-yield estimated market share of 20.5% (+500 bps), up from 15.5%, on ADV of $1.8 billion, representing an increase of 33%.

 

   

Emerging markets ADV of $2.7 billion, up 3%; up approximately 5% excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets market volumes2 down 19%.

 

   

Record 31.1% (+290 bps) estimated market share of FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets trading volume.2

 

   

Record 18.2% (+500 bps) Eurobonds estimated market share, up from 13.2% on record ADV of $1.6 billion, representing an increase of 34%; up approximately 49% excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.

 

   

Record 5.0% (+260 bps) municipal bond estimated market share on record ADV of $500 million.

 

   

Record 38% of total credit trading volume was executed via Open Trading, up from 36% in the prior year. Estimated price improvement3 via Open Trading was approximately $246 million, and average estimated price improvement per million was $988.

 

   

Record $31 billion in portfolio trading volume, up 135% from $13 billion in 4Q21, and $25 billion in 3Q22.

 

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Rates

 

   

Total rates commission revenue of $4.7 million decreased $0.3 million, or 6%, compared to the prior year, driven by a 6% decrease in U.S. Treasury ADV to $18.0 billion. The average FPM for total rates products was $4.16, slightly above fourth quarter 2021.

Information services & post-trade services

 

   

Record information services revenue of $10.4 million increased $0.8 million, or 9%, compared to the prior year. The increase in revenue was principally driven by new data contract revenue, mainly offset by the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, information services revenue would have increased approximately 17%.

 

   

Post-trade services revenue of $8.8 million decreased $0.5 million, or 6%, compared to the prior year. The decrease in revenue was principally driven by the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, which was partially offset by net new contract revenue and higher transaction reporting revenue on higher volumes. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, post-trade services revenue would have increased approximately 8%.

Expenses

 

   

Total expenses of $100.2 million increased $7.8 million, or 8%. The increase in expenses was driven principally by higher employee compensation and benefits as a result of the increase in headcount, higher technology and communication expenses due to higher subscription costs and cloud hosting expense and higher general and administrative expense which includes an increase in a reserve related to a contractual dispute with a vendor. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, total expenses would have increased approximately 12%.

Non-operating

 

   

Other income (expense): Other income was $1.8 million, up from ($1.0) million in the prior year. The current quarter included higher interest income of $3.2 million due to rising interest rates. The prior year period benefited from a $0.6 million revaluation gain on a contingent liability recognized during the fourth quarter of 2021.

 

   

Tax rate: The effective tax rate was 25.4%, compared to 27.1% in the prior year. The higher effective tax rate in the prior year period was driven by return-to-provision adjustments.

Table 1C: Full-year 2022 trading volume (ADV)

 

                  CREDIT     RATES  

$ in
millions
(unaudited)

   US/UK
Trading Days4
     Total
ADV
    Total
Credit
    High-Grade     High-Yield     Emerging
Markets
    Eurobonds     Municipal
Bonds
    Total
Rates
    US Govt.
Bonds
    Agcy./Other
Govt. Bonds
 

FY 2022

     249/250      $ 33,684     $ 11,820     $ 5,480     $ 1,706     $ 2,785     $ 1,451     $ 379     $ 21,864     $ 21,476     $ 388  

FY 2021

     250/253      $ 27,063     $ 10,484     $ 4,973     $ 1,484     $ 2,598     $ 1,324     $ 96     $ 16,579     $ 16,298     $ 281  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

% Change

        24     13     10     15     7     10     295     32     32     38

Table 1D: Full-year 2022 estimated market share

 

     CREDIT     RATES  

(unaudited)

   High-Grade     High-Yield     High-Grade/High-
Yield Combined
    Emerging
Markets2
    Eurobonds     Composite
Corporate Bond1
    Municipals     US Govt.
Bonds
 

FY 2022

     21.3     17.9     20.4     29.0     15.4     19.9     4.5     3.5

FY 2021

     21.0     15.2     19.3     26.8     12.1     18.1     2.1     2.6
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Bps Change

     +30 bps       +270 bps       +110 bps       +220 bps       +330 bps       +180 bps       +240 bps       +90 bps  

 

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Full-year 2022 overview of results

Revenues and trading volume

Credit

 

   

Total credit commission revenue of $618.6 million (including $126.9 million in fixed-distribution fees) increased $14.4 million, or 2%, compared to $604.2 million (including $119.2 million in fixed-distribution fees) in the prior year. The increase in total credit commission revenue was driven principally by higher trading volumes and strong estimated market share gains across most credit products, partially offset by lower average FPM. The decline in average FPM for total credit to $166.96, compared to $184.78 in 2021, was mainly due to the lower duration of bonds traded in U.S. high-grade, driven principally by higher bond yields, as well as product mix-shift.

 

   

91% of credit volume on the platform was executed by institutional clients.

 

   

Record $11.8 billion in total credit trading ADV, representing a 13% increase compared to the prior year.

 

   

Record 19.9% (+180 bps) composite corporate bond estimated market share,1 up from 18.1%.

 

   

10% increase in U.S. high-grade ADV to a record $5.5 billion with estimated market share of 21.3%.

 

   

Estimated U.S. high-grade TRACE market ADV increased 9%.

 

   

Record U.S. high-yield estimated market share of 17.9% (+270 bps), up from 15.2%, on record ADV of $1.7 billion, representing an increase of 15%.

 

   

Record emerging markets ADV of $2.8 billion, up 7%; up approximately 10% excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets market volumes2 down 15%.

 

   

Record 29.0% (+220 bps) estimated market share of FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets trading volume.2

 

   

Record 15.4% (+330 bps) Eurobonds estimated market share, up from 12.1% on record ADV of $1.5 billion, representing an increase of 10%; up approximately 23% excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.

 

   

Record 4.5% (+240 bps) municipal bond estimated market share on record ADV of $379 million.

 

   

Record 36% of total credit trading volume was executed via Open Trading, up from 35% in the prior year. Estimated price improvement3 via Open Trading was approximately $945 million, and average estimated price improvement per million was $1,006.

 

   

Record $92 billion in portfolio trading volume, up 217% from $29 billion in 2021.

Rates

 

 

Total rates commission revenue of $22.6 million increased $5.8 million, or 34%, compared to the prior year, driven by a 32% increase in U.S. Treasury ADV to a record $21.5 billion. The average FPM for total rates products was $4.10, compared to $4.00 in 2021.

 

   

Record 3.5% (+90 bps) U.S. Treasury estimated market share, up from 2.6%.

Information services & post-trade services

 

   

Record information services revenue of $39.3 million increased $1.1 million, or 3%, compared to the prior year. The increase in revenue was principally driven by new data contract revenue, mainly offset by the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, information services revenue would have increased approximately 9%.

 

   

Post-trade services revenue of $36.9 million decreased $2.0 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year. The decrease in revenue was principally driven by the impact of foreign currency fluctuations and planned customer attrition in connection with the Regulatory Reporting Hub integration, which was partially offset by net new contract revenue and higher transaction reporting revenue on higher volumes. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, post-trade services revenue would have increased approximately 6%.

Expenses

 

   

Total expenses of $391.4 million increased $29.7 million, or 8%. The increase in expenses was driven principally by higher employee compensation and benefits as a result of the increase in headcount, increased investments to enhance the trading system and data products, higher technology and communication expenses due to higher subscription costs and cloud hosting expense and higher general and administrative expense which includes a reserve related to a contractual dispute with a vendor. Excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, total expenses would have increased approximately 11%.

 

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Non-operating

 

   

Other income (expense): Other income was $11.4 million, up from ($3.3) million in the prior year. The increase in other income was driven principally by foreign currency translation gains, higher interest income due to rising interest rates and income from the Company’s unconsolidated equity investment.

 

   

Tax rate: The effective tax rate was 26.0%, compared to 22.8% in the prior year. The higher effective tax rate was driven by a decrease in estimated excess tax benefits related to share based compensation awards and the impact of a tax charge of $3.2 million related to a settlement with New York State.

Capital

 

   

The Company had $514.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments; there are no outstanding borrowings under the Company’s credit facility.

 

   

The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.72 per share, payable on February 22, 2023 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 8, 2023.

Other

 

   

The Company had a record 2,068 total active client firms, representing an increase of 10% and a record 1,006 total active international client firms, representing an increase of 5%.

 

   

The Company also had record active traders of 11,679 (up 6%), consisting of a record 6,151 domestic traders (up 3%) and a record 5,528 international traders (up 9%).

 

   

Employee headcount was 744 as of December 31, 2022, compared to 676 as of December 31, 2021 and 732 as of September 30, 2022. The increase in headcount compared to the prior year was due to the continued investment in the Company’s growth initiatives, including geographic expansion, trading automation and new trading protocols.

Guidance for 2023

For full-year 2023, the Company is providing the following guidance:

 

   

Total expenses are expected to be in the range of $418.0 million to $446.0 million. Based on the midpoint of the stated guidance range, operating expenses are expected to increase by approximately 10%. This 2023 guidance is based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2022.

 

   

The Company’s overall effective tax rate is expected to be between 25.0% and 26.0%.

 

   

Capital expenditures to support new protocols, products and trading platform enhancements are expected to be in the range of $52.0 million to $58.0 million. This 2023 guidance is based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2022.

 

1

Composite corporate bond estimated market share is defined as combined estimated market share across U.S. high-grade (derived from FINRA TRACE reported data), U.S. high-yield (derived from FINRA TRACE reported data), emerging markets (derived from FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets volume, principally U.S. dollar denominated corporates) and Eurobonds (derived from MarketAxess TRAX data, which is currently estimated to represent approximately 70% of the total European market) product areas.

 

2 

Emerging markets market volumes and estimated market share in this release are derived using FINRA TRACE-reportable emerging markets trading volume, principally U.S. dollar denominated corporates.

 

3

Estimated price improvement consists of estimated liquidity taker price improvement (defined as the difference between the winning price and the best disclosed dealer cover price) and estimated liquidity provider price improvement (defined as the difference between the winning price and then current Composite+ bid or offer level, offer if the provider is buying, bid if provider is selling) at the time of the inquiry.

 

4 

The number of U.S. trading days is based on the SIFMA holiday recommendation calendar and the number of U.K. trading days is based primarily on the U.K. bank holiday schedule.

 

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Non-GAAP financial measures and other items

To supplement the Company’s unaudited financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company uses certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance, including earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), EBITDA margin and free cash flow. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken into consideration with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide additional information regarding the Company’s operating results because they assist both investors and management in analyzing and evaluating the performance of our business. See the attached schedule for a reconciliation of GAAP net income to EBITDA, GAAP net income margin to EBITDA margin and GAAP cash flow from operating activities to free cash flow.

The Company also presents revenue and expense growth rates excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The Company believes that it is useful to provide investors with this framework that is also used by management to assess how our business performed excluding the effect of foreign currency fluctuations. To present this information, current and comparative prior period results for product areas reporting in currencies other than U.S. dollars are converted into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rates from the comparative period rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during the current period.

Webcast and conference call information

Rick McVey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Concannon, President and Chief Operating Officer and Christopher Gerosa, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call to discuss the Company’s financial results and outlook on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. ET. To access the conference call, please dial 888-660-6576 (U.S.) and use the ID 3629577 or 929-203-1995 (international) and use the ID 3629577. The Company will also host a live audio Webcast of the conference call on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://investor.marketaxess.com. The Webcast will be archived on http://investor.marketaxess.com for 90 days following the announcement.

About MarketAxess

MarketAxess (Nasdaq: MKTX) operates a leading electronic trading platform that delivers greater trading efficiency, a diversified pool of liquidity and significant cost savings to institutional investors and broker-dealers across the global fixed-income markets. Over 1,900 firms leverage MarketAxess’ patented technology to efficiently trade fixed-income securities. MarketAxess’ award-winning Open Trading® marketplace is widely regarded as the preferred all-to-all trading solution in the global credit markets. Founded in 2000, MarketAxess connects a robust network of market participants through the full trading lifecycle, including automated trading solutions, intelligent data products and a range of post-trade services. Learn more at www.marketaxess.com and on Twitter @MarketAxess.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements about the outlook and prospects for Company and industry growth, as well as statements about the Company’s future financial, operating performance and leadership transition. These and other statements that relate to future results and events are based on MarketAxess’ current expectations. The Company’s actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties, including: global economic, political and market factors; risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the possible effects of the economic conditions worldwide resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; adverse effects as a result of climate change or other ESG risks that could affect our reputation; the level of trading volume transacted on the MarketAxess platform; the rapidly evolving nature of the electronic financial services industry; the level and intensity of competition in the fixed-income electronic trading industry and the pricing pressures that may result; reputational or credibility risks related to our data products and index business; the variability of our growth rate; our ability to introduce new fee plans and our clients’ response; our ability to attract clients or adapt our technology and marketing strategy to new markets; risks related to our growing international operations; our dependence on our broker-dealer clients; the loss of any of our significant institutional

 

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investor clients; our exposure to risks resulting from non-performance by counterparties to transactions executed between our clients in which we act as an intermediary in matched principal trades; risks related to self-clearing; the effect of rapid market or technological changes on us and the users of our technology; our dependence on third-party suppliers for key products and services; our ability to successfully maintain the integrity of our trading platform and our response to system failures, capacity constraints and business interruptions; the occurrence of design defects, errors, failures or delays with our platforms; our vulnerability to cyber security risks; our actual or perceived failure to comply with privacy and data protection laws; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights or technology and defend against intellectual property infringement or other claims; our ability to enter into strategic alliances and to acquire other businesses and successfully integrate them with our business; our dependence on our management team and our ability to attract and retain talent; limitations on our flexibility because we operate in a highly regulated industry; the increasing government regulation of us and our clients; risks related to the U.K.’s exit from the European Union; our exposure to costs and penalties related to our extensive regulation; our risks of litigation and securities laws liability; our future capital needs and our ability to obtain capital when needed; limitations on our operating flexibility contained in our credit agreement; and other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information about these and other factors affecting MarketAxess’ business and prospects is contained in MarketAxess’ periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and can be accessed at www.marketaxess.com.

# # #

 

 

 

Contacts   
INVESTOR RELATIONS    MEDIA RELATIONS

Stephen Davidson

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

+1 212 813 6313

sdavidson2@marketaxess.com

  

Marisha Mistry

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

+1 917 267 1232

mmistry@marketaxess.com

  

William McBride

RF | Binder

+1 917 239 6726

 

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Table 2: Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

     Three Months Ended
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
 

In thousands, except per share data (unaudited)

   2022     2021     %
Change
    2022     2021     %
Change
 

Revenues

            

Commissions

   $ 158,443     $ 145,913       8.6   $ 641,183     $ 621,008       3.2

Information services

     10,398       9,561       8.8       39,314       38,175       3.0  

Post-trade services

     8,821       9,369       (5.8     36,877       38,922       (5.3

Other

     240       217       10.6       926       846       9.5  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total revenues

     177,902       165,060       7.8       718,300       698,951       2.8  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Expenses

            

Employee compensation and benefits

     44,108       41,218       7.0       182,104       170,916       6.5  

Depreciation and amortization

     15,730       14,607       7.7       61,446       53,447       15.0  

Technology and communications

     14,113       11,229       25.7       52,964       42,474       24.7  

Professional and consulting fees

     7,848       10,734       (26.9     33,949       41,925       (19.0

Occupancy

     3,653       3,438       6.3       14,121       13,320       6.0  

Marketing and advertising

     3,442       2,906       18.4       9,977       9,059       10.1  

Clearing costs

     4,614       3,739       23.4       17,663       16,074       9.9  

General and administrative

     6,721       4,608       45.9       19,200       14,501       32.4  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total expenses

     100,229       92,479       8.4       391,424       361,716       8.2  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Operating income

     77,673       72,581       7.0       326,876       337,235       (3.1

Other income (expense)

            

Interest income

     3,294       79       NM       5,040       401       NM  

Interest expense

     (52     (166     (68.7     (700     (842     (16.9

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate

     66       —         NM       1,126       —         NM  

Other, net

     (1,553     (919     69.0       5,946       (2,871     NM  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total other income (expense)

     1,755       (1,006     NM       11,412       (3,312     NM  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Income before income taxes

     79,428       71,575       11.0       338,288       333,923       1.3  

Provision for income taxes

     20,202       19,390       4.2       88,064       76,035       15.8  
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Net income

   $ 59,226     $ 52,185       13.5     $ 250,224     $ 257,888       (3.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Per Share Data:

            

Net income per common share

            

Basic

   $ 1.58     $ 1.39       $ 6.68     $ 6.88    

Diluted

   $ 1.58     $ 1.37       $ 6.65     $ 6.77    

Cash dividends declared per common share

   $ 0.70     $ 0.66       $ 2.80     $ 2.64    

Weighted-average common shares:

            

Basic

     37,480       37,527         37,468       37,508    

Diluted

     37,573       38,046         37,643       38,097    

NM - not meaningful

 

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Table 3: Commission Revenue Detail

 

     Three Months Ended December 31,     Year Ended December 31,  

In thousands, except fee per million data (unaudited)

   2022      2021      % Change     2022      2021      % Change  

Variable transaction fees

                

Credit

   $ 120,887      $ 108,940        11.0   $ 491,680      $ 485,005        1.4

Rates

     4,667        4,992        (6.5     22,341        16,572        34.8  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total variable transaction fees

     125,554        113,932        10.2       514,021        501,577        2.5  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Fixed distribution fees

                

Credit

     32,817        31,927        2.8       126,915        119,178        6.5  

Rates

     72        54        33.3       247        253        (2.4
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total fixed distribution fees

     32,889        31,981        2.8       127,162        119,431        6.5  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total commission revenue

   $ 158,443      $ 145,913        8.6     $ 641,183      $ 621,008        3.2  
  

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Average variable transaction fee per million

                

Credit

     163.87        180.24        (9.1     166.96        184.78        (9.6

Rates

     4.16        4.14        0.5       4.10        4.00        2.6  

Table 4: Trading Volume Detail*

 

     Three Months Ended December 31,  

In millions (unaudited)

   2022      2021      % Change  
     Volume      ADV      Volume      ADV      Volume     ADV  

Credit

                

High-grade

   $ 334,735      $ 5,487      $ 277,891      $ 4,482        20.5     22.4

High-yield

     110,091        1,805        84,004        1,355        31.1       33.2  

Emerging markets

     162,597        2,666        160,560        2,590        1.3       2.9  

Eurobonds

     98,853        1,569        74,817        1,169        32.1       34.2  

Other credit

     31,404        515        7,131        115        340.4       347.8  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total credit trading

     737,680        12,042        604,403        9,711        22.1       24.0  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Rates

                

U.S. Government Bonds

     1,099,596        18,026        1,183,410        19,087        (7.1     (5.6

Agency and other government bonds

     22,138        356        22,685        360        (2.4     (1.1
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total rates trading

     1,121,734        18,382        1,206,095        19,447        (7.0     (5.5
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total trading

   $ 1,859,414      $ 30,424      $ 1,810,498      $ 29,158        2.7       4.3  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Number of U.S. Trading Days1

        61           62       

Number of U.K. Trading Days2

        63           64       

 

     Year Ended December 31,  

In millions (unaudited)

   2022      2021      % Change  
     Volume      ADV      Volume      ADV      Volume     ADV  

Credit

                

High-grade

   $ 1,364,530      $ 5,480      $ 1,243,180      $ 4,973        9.8     10.2

High-yield

     424,812        1,706        371,116        1,484        14.5       15.0  

Emerging markets

     693,560        2,785        649,455        2,598        6.8       7.2  

Eurobonds

     362,713        1,451        334,899        1,324        8.3       9.6  

Other credit

     99,225        398        26,134        105        279.7       279.0  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total credit trading

     2,944,840        11,820        2,624,784        10,484        12.2       12.7  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Rates

                

U.S. Government Bonds

     5,347,607        21,476        4,074,451        16,298        31.2       31.8  

Agency and other government bonds

     96,782        388        70,513        281        37.3       38.1  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total rates trading

     5,444,389        21,864        4,144,964        16,579        31.3       31.9  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total trading

   $ 8,389,229      $ 33,684      $ 6,769,748      $ 27,063        23.9       24.5  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

      

Number of U.S. Trading Days1

        249           250       

Number of U.K. Trading Days2

        250           253       

 

1 

The number of U.S. trading days is based on the SIFMA holiday recommendation calendar.

2

The number of U.K. trading days is based on the U.K. Bank holiday schedule.

*

Consistent with FINRA TRACE reporting standards, both sides of trades are included in the Company’s reported volumes when the Company executes trades on a matched principal basis between two counterparties. Consistent with industry standards, U.S. Government Bond trades are single-counted.

 

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Table 5: Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet Data

 

     As of  

In thousands (unaudited)

   December 31, 2022     December 31, 2021  

Assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 430,746     $ 506,735  

Cash segregated under federal regulations

     50,947       50,159  

Investments, at fair value

     83,792       36,078  

Accounts receivable, net

     78,450       63,881  

Receivables from broker-dealers, clearing organizations and customers

     476,335       408,346  

Goodwill

     154,789       154,789  

Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization

     98,065       116,377  

Furniture, equipment, leasehold improvements and capitalized software, net

     100,256       96,061  

Operating lease right-of-use assets

     66,106       70,960  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     68,289       27,066  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 1,607,775     $ 1,530,452  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

    

Liabilities

    

Accrued employee compensation

   $ 56,302     $ 59,719  

Payables to broker-dealers, clearing organizations and customers

     303,993       229,325  

Income and other tax liabilities

     28,448       40,456  

Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities

     55,263       71,218  

Operating lease liabilities

     82,676       88,425  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     526,682       489,143  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity

    

Common stock

     123       123  

Additional paid-in capital

     345,468       330,262  

Treasury stock

     (328,326     (232,712

Retained earnings

     1,101,525       956,966  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (37,697     (13,330
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

     1,081,093       1,041,309  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 1,607,775     $ 1,530,452  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table 6: Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA and Net Income Margin to EBITDA Margin

 

     Three Months Ended
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
 

In thousands (unaudited)

   2022     2021     2022     2021  

Net income

   $ 59,226     $ 52,185     $ 250,224     $ 257,888  

Add back:

        

Interest expense

     52       166       700       842  

Provision for income taxes

     20,202       19,390       88,064       76,035  

Depreciation and amortization

     15,730       14,607       61,446       53,447  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EBITDA

   $ 95,210     $ 86,348     $ 400,434     $ 388,212  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
        

Net income margin1

     33.3     31.6     34.8     36.9

Add back:

        

Interest expense

     0.0       0.1       0.1       0.1  

Provision for income taxes

     11.4       11.7       12.3       10.9  

Depreciation and amortization

     8.8       8.8       8.6       7.6  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EBITDA margin2

     53.5     52.3     55.7     55.5
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Table 7: Reconciliation of Cash Flows from Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow

 

                                                               
     Three Months Ended
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
 

In thousands (unaudited)

   2022     2021     2022     2021  

Cash flows from operating activities

   $ 134,226     $ 145,711     $ 289,231     $ 282,091  

Exclude: Net change in trading investments

     49,972       5       49,527       5,574  

Exclude: Net change in fail-to-deliver/receive from broker-dealers, clearing organizations and customers

     (71,933     (62,318     (25,994     59,651  

Less: Purchases of furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements

     (6,500     (2,926     (13,142     (17,493

Less: Capitalization of software development costs

     (11,621     (8,473     (38,730     (33,123
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Free cash flow

   $ 94,144     $ 71,999     $ 260,892     $ 296,700  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1

Net income margin is derived by dividing net income by total revenues for the applicable period.

2 

EBITDA margin is derived by dividing EBITDA by total revenues for the applicable period.

 

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