Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) saw its stock price plummet 5.14% in pre-market trading on Friday, despite reporting better-than-expected third-quarter earnings. The online brokerage firm posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.57, surpassing analyst estimates of $0.54, while revenue came in at $1.66 billion, beating expectations of $1.53 billion.
The company's Q3 results showed robust growth across key metrics. Commission revenue increased 23% to $537 million on higher customer trading volumes, with stock and options trading volumes up 67% and 27% respectively. Net interest income rose 21% to $967 million, driven by stronger securities lending activity and higher average customer margin loans. Customer accounts grew 32% year-over-year to 4.1 million, while customer equity climbed 40% to $757.5 billion.
Despite these strong results, investors appear to be focusing on concerns about future growth and potential headwinds. During the earnings call, Interactive Brokers noted that while trading activity remained robust, there were signs of caution among investors regarding economic concerns. The company also faces challenges from a less favorable interest rate environment, with the Federal Reserve having cut rates for the first time since late last year. The stock's sharp decline in pre-market trading suggests that market participants may be repricing their expectations for Interactive Brokers' future performance, even as the company continues to demonstrate solid growth in its core business metrics.