Nasdaq Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) shares rose Thursday after the exchange operator reported first-quarter 2026 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations.
Revenue increased 14% year over year to $1.407 billion, topping the analyst consensus estimate of $1.372 billion. Adjusted earnings were 96 cents per share, above estimates of 93 cents. Annualized recurring revenue rose 13% to $3.2 billion.
Solutions revenue climbed 14% to $1.08 billion, while Market Services net revenue increased 13% to $317 million. Financial Technology revenue rose 20% to $517 million, and Index revenue gained 14% to $220 million.
Operating cash flow totaled $689 million for the quarter. Cash and equivalents stood at $515 million as of March 31, 2026. Nasdaq returned $153 million to shareholders through dividends and repurchased $548 million of common stock.
The company raised its quarterly dividend to 31 …