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 results for the quarter ended
March 31, 2020.
"Our heartfelt thoughts go out to the millions
of people around the world that have lost loved ones and had their
lives turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic," said Rick
McVey, Chairman and CEO of MarketAxess. "The steep drop in
economic activity in the first quarter had an immediate and
substantial impact on global credit markets with sharp credit
spread widening, especially in High-Yield and Emerging Markets.
During this market disruption, credit trading volumes reached
record levels in March, and electronic trading market share on
MarketAxess increased. We believe Open Trading liquidity was
essential to the functioning of credit markets during the quarter,
and MarketAxess played a valuable role keeping our clients
connected to the market as traders moved from their centralized
trading floors to home offices. The indispensable role of
electronic fixed-income trading networks was evident in the record
number of client firms and individual traders that transacted on
MarketAxess during the month of March."
First Quarter
Results
Total revenues for the first quarter of 2020
increased 36% to $169.0 million, compared to $124.5 million for the
first quarter of 2019. Operating income was $91.1 million, compared
to $63.2 million for the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 44%.
Operating margin was 53.9%, compared to 50.8% for the first quarter
of 2019. Net income totaled $74.8 million, or $1.96 per share
on a diluted basis, compared to $52.5 million, or $1.39 per share,
for the first quarter of 2019.
Commission revenue for the first quarter of 2020
increased 38% to $156.0 million, compared to $112.8 million for the
first quarter of 2019. Variable transaction fees increased 45% to
$129.2 million for the first quarter of 2020, compared to variable
transaction fees of $89.1 million for the first quarter of 2019.
U.S. high-grade trading volume as a percentage of FINRA’s
high-grade TRACE trading volume increased to an estimated 20.0% for
the first quarter of 2020, compared to an estimated 17.6% for the
first quarter of 2019. Variable transaction fees in the first
quarter of 2020 includes approximately $4.8 million of U.S.
Treasuries trading commissions related to the November 2019
acquisition of LiquidityEdge LLC, now operating as MarketAxess
Rates.
All other revenue, which consists of information
services, post-trade services and other revenue, increased 11% to
$13.0 million, compared to $11.7 million for the first quarter of
2019. The increase in all other revenue was principally due
to higher information services revenue of $1.3 million.
Total expenses for the first quarter of 2020
increased 27% to $77.9 million, compared to $61.3 million for the
first quarter of 2019. The increase in total expenses was largely
due to higher employee compensation and benefit costs, mainly due
to an increase in headcount, of $8.5 million, clearing costs,
mainly due to record Open Trading activity and U.S. Treasury
matched-principal trading, of $2.9 million, technology and
communications costs of $2.4 million and depreciation and
amortization of $2.0 million. MarketAxess Rates expenses, including
amortization of acquired intangibles expense, totaled $5.0 million
during the first quarter of 2020.
The effective tax rate for the first quarter of
2020 was 18.4%, compared to 19.5% for the first quarter of 2019.
The income tax provision for the first quarter of 2020 and 2019
reflected $6.3 million and $3.0 million, respectively, of excess
tax benefits related to share-based compensation awards.
Employee headcount was 536 as of March 31, 2020
compared to 527 as of December 31, 2019 and 476 as of March 31,
2019. The increase in headcount was due to the continued investment
in the Company’s growth initiatives, including geographic
expansion, trading automation, new trading protocols and the
transition to self-clearing.
Dividend
The Company’s board of directors declared a cash
dividend of $0.60 per share of common stock outstanding, to be paid
on May 27, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of
business on May 13, 2020.
Share
Repurchases
A total of 15,500 shares were repurchased in the
first quarter of 2020 at a cost of $5.4 million.
Balance Sheet
Data
As of March 31, 2020, total assets were $975.6
million and included $499.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and
investments. Total stockholders’ equity as of March 31, 2020
was $797.9 million.
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”) and free
cash flow. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial
measures, when taken into consideration with the corresponding GAAP
financial measures, are important in understanding the Company's
operating results. See the attached schedule for a
reconciliation of GAAP net income to EBITDA and GAAP cash flow from
operating activities to free cash flow.
Webcast and Conference Call
Information
Rick McVey, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, Chris Concannon, President and Chief Operating
Officer and Tony DeLise, Chief Financial Officer, will host a
conference call to discuss the Company’s financial results and
outlook on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
EST. To access the conference call, please dial 855-425-4206 (U.S.)
or 484-756-4249 (international). 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. A replay of the call will be made
available by dialing 855-859-2056 (U.S.) or 404-537-3406
(international) and using the conference ID: 5358876 for one week
after the announcement. The Webcast will also be archived on
http://investor.marketaxess.com for 90 days following the
announcement.
About MarketAxess
MarketAxess operates a leading, institutional
electronic trading platform delivering expanded liquidity
opportunities, improved execution quality and significant cost
savings across global fixed-income markets. A global network of
over 1,700 firms, including the world’s leading asset managers and
institutional broker-dealers, leverages MarketAxess’ patented
trading technology to efficiently trade bonds. MarketAxess’
award-winning Open Trading™ marketplace is regarded as the
preferred all-to-all trading solution in the global credit markets,
creating a unique liquidity pool for a broad range of credit market
participants. Drawing on its deep data and analytical resources,
MarketAxess provides automated trading solutions, market data
products and a range of pre- and post-trade services.
MarketAxess is headquartered in New York and has
offices in London, Amsterdam, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami,
Salt Lake City, San Francisco, São Paulo, Hong Kong and Singapore.
For more information, please visit www.marketaxess.com.
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 and operating performance. 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: risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic,
including the possible effects of the economic conditions worldwide
resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; global economic, political
and market factors; the volatility of financial services markets
generally; the level of trading volume transacted on the
MarketAxess platform; the absolute level and direction of interest
rates and the corresponding volatility in the corporate
fixed-income market; the level and intensity of competition in the
fixed-income electronic trading industry and the pricing pressures
that may result; the variability of our growth rate; the rapidly
evolving nature of the electronic financial services industry; our
ability to introduce new fee plans and our clients’ response; 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; our dependence on our
broker-dealer clients; the loss of any of our significant
institutional investor clients; our ability to develop new products
and offerings and the market’s acceptance of those products; the
effect of rapid market or technological changes on us and the users
of our technology; our ability to successfully maintain the
integrity of our trading platform and our response to system
failures, capacity constraints and business interruptions; our
vulnerability to cyber security risks; 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 ability to
comply with new and existing laws, rules and regulations both
domestically and internationally; our ability to maintain effective
compliance and risk management methods; the strain of growth
initiatives on management and other resources; 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.
Media and Investor Relations Contacts:
David
Cresci |
William
McBride |
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
RF|Binder |
+1-212-813-6027 |
+1-917-239-6726 |
Kyle WhiteMarketAxess Holdings Inc.+1-212-813-6355
|
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
Consolidated Statements of Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In thousands, except per share data) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
Commissions |
|
$ |
155,954 |
|
|
$ |
112,760 |
|
Information services |
|
|
8,642 |
|
|
|
7,366 |
|
Post-trade services |
|
|
4,153 |
|
|
|
4,100 |
|
Other |
|
|
229 |
|
|
|
265 |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
168,978 |
|
|
|
124,491 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
Employee compensation and benefits |
|
|
41,194 |
|
|
|
32,658 |
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
8,067 |
|
|
|
6,082 |
|
Technology and communications |
|
|
8,161 |
|
|
|
5,782 |
|
Professional and consulting fees |
|
|
5,675 |
|
|
|
5,831 |
|
Occupancy |
|
|
3,474 |
|
|
|
2,949 |
|
Marketing and advertising |
|
|
2,675 |
|
|
|
2,299 |
|
Clearing costs |
|
|
5,510 |
|
|
|
2,577 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
3,133 |
|
|
|
3,124 |
|
Total expenses |
|
|
77,889 |
|
|
|
61,302 |
|
Operating income |
|
|
91,089 |
|
|
|
63,189 |
|
Other income (expense) |
|
|
|
|
|
Investment income |
|
|
1,269 |
|
|
|
1,989 |
|
Other, net |
|
|
(656 |
) |
|
|
42 |
|
Total other income |
|
|
613 |
|
|
|
2,031 |
|
Income before income taxes |
|
|
91,702 |
|
|
|
65,220 |
|
Provision for income taxes |
|
|
16,886 |
|
|
|
12,698 |
|
Net income |
|
$ |
74,816 |
|
|
$ |
52,522 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
Net income per common share |
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
|
$ |
2.01 |
|
|
$ |
1.42 |
|
Diluted |
|
$ |
1.96 |
|
|
$ |
1.39 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash dividends declared per common share |
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted-average common shares: |
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
|
|
37,303 |
|
|
|
37,043 |
|
Diluted |
|
|
38,075 |
|
|
|
37,832 |
|
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
Commission Revenue Details |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Commissions Revenue |
|
|
(In thousands) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
Transaction Fees |
|
|
|
|
U.S. high-grade |
|
$ |
57,970 |
|
|
$ |
42,501 |
|
Other credit 1 |
|
|
65,610 |
|
|
|
46,034 |
|
Total credit |
|
|
123,580 |
|
|
|
88,535 |
|
Rates 2 |
|
|
5,586 |
|
|
|
557 |
|
Total transaction fees |
|
|
129,166 |
|
|
|
89,092 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distribution Fees |
|
|
|
|
U.S. high-grade |
|
|
19,974 |
|
|
|
17,978 |
|
Other credit1 |
|
|
6,658 |
|
|
|
5,558 |
|
Total credit |
|
|
26,632 |
|
|
|
23,536 |
|
Rates2 |
|
|
156 |
|
|
|
132 |
|
Total distribution fees |
|
|
26,788 |
|
|
|
23,668 |
|
Total commissions |
|
$ |
155,954 |
|
|
$ |
112,760 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Variable Transaction Fee Per Million |
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. high-grade - fixed-rate |
|
$ |
182.95 |
|
|
$ |
158.45 |
|
U.S. high-grade - floating-rate |
|
|
47.96 |
|
|
|
75.70 |
|
Total U.S. high-grade |
|
|
175.67 |
|
|
|
153.21 |
|
Other credit 1 |
|
|
198.97 |
|
|
|
196.31 |
|
Total credit |
|
|
187.31 |
|
|
|
172.95 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rates2 |
|
|
3.87 |
|
|
|
39.02 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Other credit includes high-yield, emerging markets, Eurobonds and
municipal bonds. |
2 Rates includes U.S. Government bonds, agencies and other
government bonds. |
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of |
|
|
March 31, 2020 |
|
December 31, 2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In thousands) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
363,811 |
|
|
$ |
270,124 |
|
Investments, at fair value |
|
|
135,617 |
|
|
|
230,477 |
|
Accounts receivable, net |
|
|
93,572 |
|
|
|
62,017 |
|
Goodwill and intangible assets, net |
|
|
207,679 |
|
|
|
207,847 |
|
Furniture, equipment, leasehold improvements and capitalized
software, net |
|
|
74,926 |
|
|
|
71,795 |
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
|
79,651 |
|
|
|
81,399 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
|
|
20,289 |
|
|
|
30,770 |
|
Deferred tax assets, net |
|
|
58 |
|
|
|
501 |
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
975,603 |
|
|
$ |
954,930 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities and stockholders' equity |
|
|
|
|
Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
Accrued employee compensation |
|
$ |
21,929 |
|
|
$ |
47,365 |
|
Income and other tax liabilities |
|
|
20,776 |
|
|
|
16,690 |
|
Deferred revenue |
|
|
3,950 |
|
|
|
3,499 |
|
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities |
|
|
34,764 |
|
|
|
19,294 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
96,301 |
|
|
|
97,991 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
177,720 |
|
|
|
184,839 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders' equity |
|
|
|
|
Common stock |
|
|
122 |
|
|
|
122 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
328,055 |
|
|
|
342,541 |
|
Treasury stock |
|
|
(158,803 |
) |
|
|
(153,388 |
) |
Retained earnings |
|
|
643,129 |
|
|
|
591,086 |
|
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
|
(14,620 |
) |
|
|
(10,270 |
) |
Total stockholders' equity |
|
|
797,883 |
|
|
|
770,091 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity |
|
$ |
975,603 |
|
|
$ |
954,930 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures |
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and
Amortization |
|
|
(In thousands) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
Net income |
|
$ |
74,816 |
|
|
$ |
52,522 |
|
Add back: |
|
|
|
|
Interest expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Provision for income taxes |
|
|
16,886 |
|
|
|
12,698 |
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
8,067 |
|
|
|
6,082 |
|
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization |
|
$ |
99,769 |
|
|
$ |
71,302 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Free Cash Flow |
|
|
(In thousands) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
$ |
120,369 |
|
|
$ |
39,369 |
|
Exclude: Net change in trading investments |
|
|
(56,394 |
) |
|
|
(6,015 |
) |
Less: Purchases of furniture, equipment and leasehold
improvements |
|
|
(4,291 |
) |
|
|
(649 |
) |
Less: Capitalization of software development costs |
|
|
(6,778 |
) |
|
|
(3,184 |
) |
Free cash flow |
|
$ |
52,906 |
|
|
$ |
29,521 |
|
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. |
Volume Statistics* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Trading Volume |
|
|
(In millions) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. high-grade - fixed-rate |
|
$ |
312,188 |
|
|
$ |
259,833 |
|
U.S. high-grade - floating-rate |
|
|
17,806 |
|
|
|
17,577 |
|
Total U.S. high-grade |
|
|
329,994 |
|
|
|
277,410 |
|
Other credit |
|
|
329,753 |
|
|
|
234,491 |
|
Total credit |
|
|
659,747 |
|
|
|
511,901 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rates |
|
|
1,444,878 |
|
|
|
14,276 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Daily Volume |
|
|
(In millions) |
|
|
(unaudited) |
U.S. high-grade |
|
$ |
5,322 |
|
|
$ |
4,548 |
|
Other credit |
|
|
5,277 |
|
|
|
3,812 |
|
Total credit |
|
|
10,599 |
|
|
|
8,360 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rates |
|
|
23,305 |
|
|
|
233 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of U.S. Trading Days 1 |
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
61 |
|
Number of U.K. Trading Days 2 |
|
|
64 |
|
|
|
63 |
|
|
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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