Interactive Brokers fourth-quarter earnings rise amid higher interest rates

Investing.com — Shares in Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ:) climbed in early trading in New York on Wednesday after the financial services company reported growth in fourth-quarter income.

Trading in options and futures contracts increased, helping offset a 22% downturn in stock share volume, a trend that the company attributed to an  investor desire for instruments that could mitigate risk. Commission revenue edged up by 5% year-over-year to $348 million.

Adjusted diluted earnings per share during the three months until the end of December rose to $1.52 from $1.30 in the corresponding period in 2022. In a note to clients, analysts at Goldman Sachs said “overall” the figures were in line with expectations. 

Meanwhile, net interest income (NII) — or the difference between interest-bearing assets and liabilities — jumped by 29% to $730 million, thanks to elevated benchmark interest rates, customer margin loans, and customer credit balances. 

In a call with analysts, Chairman Thomas Peterffy predicted that “on balance” earnings in 2024 will be greater than in 2023. But he warned about the impact of potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year, saying 75 basis points in reductions would hit interest income by around $300M.

“I think it’s going to be a race — a dead heat — between lower interest rates, reducing our earnings and higher, more activity increasing our earnings,” Peterffy added.

Vahid Karaahmetovic contributed to this report.