Cboe Global Markets 10-Q 2024-09-30
Filed 2024-11-01. 8 sections, 447K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
| x | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024
OR
| o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-34774
Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 20-5446972 | ||||
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | ||||
| Incorporation or Organization) | Identification No.) |
| 433 West Van Buren Street, Chicago, Illinois | 60607 | ||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(312) 786-5600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class: | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered: | ||||||||||||
| Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | CBOE | CboeBZX |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large Accelerated filer | x | Accelerated Filer | o | Non-accelerated Filer | o | ||||||||||||
| Smaller Reporting Company | o | Emerging Growth Company | o |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:
| Class | October 25, 2024 | |||||||
| Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | 104,685,813 shares |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS
Throughout this document, unless otherwise specified or the context so requires:
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“Cboe,” “we,” “us,” “our” or “the Company” refers to Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
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“ADV” means average daily volume.
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“ADNV” means average daily notional value.
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“AFM” refers to the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets.
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“ATS” refers to an alternative trading system.
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“Bats Global Markets” and “Bats” refer to our wholly-owned subsidiary Bats Global Markets, Inc., now known as Cboe Bats, LLC, and its subsidiaries.
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“BIDS Trading” refers to BIDS Trading, L.P., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc. The ATS operated by BIDS Trading is not a registered national securities exchange or a facility thereof.
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“BYX” refers to Cboe BYX Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“BZX” refers to Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“C2” refers to Cboe C2 Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Asia Pacific” refers to Cboe Asia Pacific Holdings Limited (formerly known as Chi-X Asia Pacific Holdings Limited), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Australia” refers to Cboe Australia Pty Ltd. (formerly known as Chi-X Australia Pty. Ltd.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Canada” refers to the former Aequitas Innovations, Inc. and Neo Exchange Inc. (commonly referred to as “NEO Exchange”), which were wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Canada Inc.” is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and a recognized Canadian securities exchange. As of January 1, 2024, the Cboe Canada and MATCHNow entities have been amalgamated into Cboe Canada Inc.
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“Cboe Chi-X Europe” refers to Cboe Chi-X Europe Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Clear Digital” refers to Cboe Clear Digital, LLC (formerly known as Eris Clearing, LLC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Clear Europe” refers to Cboe Clear Europe N.V. (formerly known as European Central Counterparty N.V., formerly defined as “EuroCCP”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Digital” refers to Cboe Digital Intermediate Holdings, LLC (formerly known as Eris Digital Holdings, LLC) and its subsidiaries. Prior to rebranding under the Cboe Digital name, Eris Digital Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries operated under the “ErisX” name.
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“Cboe Digital Exchange” refers to Cboe Digital Exchange, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Europe Equities and Derivatives” refers to the combined businesses of Cboe Europe and Cboe NL.
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“Cboe Europe” refers to Cboe Europe Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc., the UK operator of our Multilateral Trading Facility (“MTF”), our Regulated Market (“RM”), and our Approved Publication Arrangement (“APA”) under its Recognized Investment Exchange (“RIE”) status.
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“Cboe Fixed Income” refers to Cboe Fixed Income Markets, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe FX” refers to Cboe FX Markets, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Japan” refers to Cboe Japan Ltd. (formerly known as Chi-X Japan Ltd.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe NL” refers to Cboe Europe BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc., the Netherlands operator of our MTF, RM, and APA.
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“Cboe Options” refers to Cboe Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe SEF” refers to Cboe SEF, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“Cboe Trading” refers to Cboe Trading, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“CFE” refers to Cboe Futures Exchange, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“CFTC” refers to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
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“CSD Br” refers to CSD Central de Serviços de Registro e Depósito aos Mercados Financeiro e de Capitais S.A., a Brazilian trade repository.
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“CIRO” refers to the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.
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“EDGA” refers to Cboe EDGA Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“EDGX” refers to Cboe EDGX Exchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
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“ESMA” refers to the European Securities and Markets Authority.
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“Exchanges” refers to Cboe Options, C2, BZX, BYX, EDGX, and EDGA.
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“FASB” refers to the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
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“FCA” refers to the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
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“FINRA” refers to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
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“GAAP” refers to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States.
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“MATCHNow” refers to the former TriAct Canada Marketplace LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc., which was the operator of a Canadian ATS (known as “MATCHNow”).
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“Merger” refers to our acquisition of Bats Global Markets, completed on February 28, 2017.
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“OCC” refers to The Options Clearing Corporation.
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“OPRA” refers to Options Price Reporting Authority, LLC.
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“SEC” refers to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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“SPX” refers to our S&P 500 Index exchange-traded options products.
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“TPH” refers to either a Trading Permit Holder or a Trading Privilege Holder.
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“VIX futures” or “VIX options” refers, as applicable, to our Cboe Volatility Index exchange-traded options and futures products.
TRADEMARK AND OTHER INFORMATION
Cboe®, Cboe Global Markets®, Cboe Volatility Index®, Cboe Clear®, Cboe Datashop®, Cboe Futures Exchange®, Cboe Digital®, Cboe Hanweck®, Cboe LIS®, Bats®, BIDS Trading®, BYX®, BZX®, CFE®, EDGA®, EDGX®, Hybrid®, LiveVol®, MATCHNow®, NANO®, Options Institute®, Silexx®, The Exchange for the World Stage®, VIX®, VIX1D®, and XSP® are registered trademarks, and Cboe BIDS EuropeSM, C2SM, f(t)optionsSM, and Trade AlertSM are service marks of Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Standard & Poor's®, S&P®, S&P 100®, S&P 500® and SPX® are registered trademarks and DSPXSM is a service mark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and have been licensed for use by Cboe Exchange, Inc. Dow Jones®, Dow Jones Industrial Average®, DJIA® and Dow Jones Indices are registered trademarks or service marks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC, used under license. Russell® and the Russell index names are registered trademarks of Frank Russell Company, used under license. FTSE® and the FTSE indices are trademarks and service marks of FTSE International Limited, used under license. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
MSCI and the MSCI index names are service marks of MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”) or its affiliates and have been licensed for use by us. Any derivative indices and any financial products based on the derivative indices (“MCSI-Based Products”) are not sponsored, guaranteed or endorsed by MSCI, its affiliates or any other party involved in, or related to, making or compiling such MSCI index. Neither MSCI, its affiliates nor any other party involved in, or related to, making or compiling any MSCI index makes any representations regarding the advisability of investing in such MSCI-Based Products; makes any warranty, express or implied; or bears any liability as to the results to be obtained by any person or any entity from the use of any such MSCI index or any data included therein. No purchaser, seller or holder of any MSCI-Based Product, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote any security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI’s permission is required.
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes market share and industry data that we obtained from industry publications and surveys, reports of governmental agencies and internal company surveys. Industry publications and surveys generally state that the information they contain has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but we cannot assure you that this information is accurate or complete. We have not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources nor have we ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. Statements as to our market position are based on the most currently available market data. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding industry data presented herein, our estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors. Please refer to the “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our other filings with the SEC.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, you should consider the risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report and other filings with the SEC.
While we believe we have identified material risks, these risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:
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the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products;
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economic, political and market conditions;
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compliance with legal and regulatory obligations;
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price competition and consolidation in our industry;
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decreases in trading or clearing volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges;
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legislative or regulatory changes or changes in tax regimes;
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our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security vulnerabilities and breaches;
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our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel;
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increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities;
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our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties;
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global expansion of operations;
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factors that impact the quality and integrity of our and other applicable indices;
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our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively;
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our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights;
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our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit, counterparty, investment, and default risks, associated with operating a European clearinghouse;
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our ability to accommodate trading and clearing volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems;
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misconduct by those who use our markets or our products or for whom we clear transactions;
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challenges to our use of open source software code;
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our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status;
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our ability to maintain BIDS Trading as an independently managed and operated trading venue, separate from and not integrated with our registered national securities exchanges;
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damage to our reputation;
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the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks;
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restrictions imposed by our debt obligations and our ability to make payments on or refinance our debt obligations;
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our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating;
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impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets;
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the impacts of pandemics;
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the accuracy of our estimates and expectations;
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litigation risks and other liabilities; and
- risks relating to digital assets, including winding down the Cboe Digital spot market and transitioning digital asset futures contracts to CFE, operating a digital asset futures clearinghouse, cybercrime, changes in digital asset regulation, and fluctuations in digital asset prices.
For a detailed discussion of these and other factors that might affect our performance, see Part II, Item 1A of this Report. We do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this filing.
PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited)
(in millions, except par value data and share amounts)
| September 30, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||
| Assets | |||||||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 763.2 | $ | 543.2 | |||||||
| Financial investments | 39.4 | 57.5 | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net of $7.0 allowance for credit losses at September 30, 2024 and $4.5 at December 31, 2023 | 376.2 | 337.3 | |||||||||
| Margin deposits, clearing funds, and interoperability funds | 2,039.0 | 848.8 | |||||||||
| Digital assets - safeguarded assets | — | 51.3 | |||||||||
| Income taxes receivable | 47.1 | 74.5 | |||||||||
| Other current assets | 53.1 | 66.7 | |||||||||
| Total current assets | 3,318.0 | 1,979.3 | |||||||||
| Investments | 358.1 | 345.3 | |||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 108.7 | 109.2 | |||||||||
| Property held for sale | — | 8.7 | |||||||||
| Operating lease right of use assets | 130.7 | 136.6 | |||||||||
| Goodwill | 3,150.5 | 3,140.6 | |||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 1,424.7 | 1,561.5 | |||||||||
| Other assets, net | 220.8 | 206.3 | |||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 8,711.5 | $ | 7,487.5 | |||||||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | 304.7 | $ | 412.7 | |||||||
| Section 31 fees payable | 40.1 | 51.9 | |||||||||
| Deferred revenue | 6.0 | 5.9 | |||||||||
| Margin deposits, clearing funds, and interoperability funds | 2,039.0 | 848.8 | |||||||||
| Digital assets - safeguarded liabilities | — | 51.3 | |||||||||
| Income taxes payable | — | 1.0 | |||||||||
| Current portion of contingent consideration liabilities | — | 11.8 | |||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 2,389.8 | 1,383.4 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt | 1,440.6 | 1,439.2 | |||||||||
| Non-current unrecognized tax benefits | 286.9 | 243.8 | |||||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 196.9 | 217.8 | |||||||||
| Non-current operating lease liabilities | 143.9 | 150.8 | |||||||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 45.1 | 67.5 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities | 4,503.2 | 3,502.5 | |||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | |||||||||||
| Stockholders’ equity: | |||||||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.01 par value: 20,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | — | — | |||||||||
| Common stock, $0.01 par value: 325,000,000 shares authorized, 106,009,818 and 104,677,388 shares issued and outstanding, respectively at September 30, 2024 and 105,556,817 and 105,527,815 shares issued and outstanding, respectively at December 31, 2023 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||||||
| Common stock in treasury, at cost, 1,332,430 shares at September 30, 2024 and 29,002 shares at December 31, 2023 | (242.9) | (10.5) | |||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 1,521.7 | 1,478.6 | |||||||||
| Retained earnings | 2,910.6 | 2,525.2 | |||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net | 17.8 | (9.4) | |||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 4,208.3 | 3,985.0 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 8,711.5 | $ | 7,487.5 |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(unaudited)
(in millions, except per share data)
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cash and spot markets | $ | 434.1 | $ | 335.1 | $ | 1,201.4 | $ | 1,083.4 | |||||||||||||||
| Data and access solutions | 145.6 | 137.0 | 427.9 | 401.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Derivatives markets | 476.0 | 436.7 | 1,357.6 | 1,319.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,055.7 | 908.8 | 2,986.9 | 2,804.8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liquidity payments | 317.6 | 323.7 | 963.4 | 1,032.9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Routing and clearing | 17.4 | 17.8 | 50.0 | 62.6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Section 31 fees | 129.5 | 36.1 | 249.3 | 145.5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Royalty fees and other cost of revenues | 59.2 | 50.7 | 176.3 | 144.8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 523.7 | 428.3 | 1,439.0 | 1,385.8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues less cost of revenues | 532.0 | 480.5 | 1,547.9 | 1,419.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits | 119.1 | 96.1 | 350.5 | 313.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 31.8 | 38.8 | 100.9 | 120.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Technology support services | 25.5 | 25.0 | 74.3 | 75.5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Professional fees and outside services | 21.9 | 24.4 | 69.2 | 68.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Travel and promotional expenses | 12.6 | 8.9 | 29.4 | 28.6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Facilities costs | 5.9 | 6.2 | 18.5 | 20.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition-related costs | — | 0.8 | 1.2 | 7.9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Impairment of intangible assets | — | — | 81.0 | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other expenses | 7.8 | 9.1 | 23.0 | 21.4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 224.6 | 209.3 | 748.0 | 655.1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income | 307.4 | 271.2 | 799.9 | 763.9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Non-operating (expenses) income: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | (12.8) | (15.4) | (38.6) | (49.2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 11.4 | 3.5 |
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, included in Item 1 in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and as contained in that report, the information under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” This discussion contains forward-looking information. Please see “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.
Overview
Cboe Global Markets, Inc., the world’s leading derivatives and securities exchange network, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to people around the world. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, and FX, across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Above all, the Company is committed to building a trusted, inclusive global marketplace that enables people to pursue a sustainable financial future.
Cboe’s subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the Company operates Cboe Europe, one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe, and owns Cboe Clear Europe, a leading pan-European equities and derivatives clearinghouse, BIDS Holdings, which owns a leading block-trading ATS by volume in the U.S., and provides block-trading services with Cboe market operators in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Japan, Cboe Australia, an operator of trading venues in Australia, Cboe Japan, an operator of trading venues in Japan, Cboe Digital Exchange, LLC, an operator of a regulated futures exchange, Cboe Clear Digital, an operator of a regulated clearinghouse, and Cboe Canada Inc., a recognized Canadian securities exchange. Cboe subsidiaries also serve collectively as a leading market globally for exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) listings and trading.
On April 25, 2024, the Company announced plans to refocus the digital asset business to leverage its core strengths in derivatives, technology, and product innovation. On May 31, 2024, the Company halted trading on the Cboe Digital spot market (“Cboe Digital spot market”). The Cboe Digital spot market is closed for all participant and trading purposes. In addition, the Company plans to transition its cash-settled Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts, currently available for trading on Cboe Digital Exchange, LLC's Digital Exchange ("Cboe Digital Exchange"), to CFE in the first half of 2025, pending regulatory review. The Company has brought Cboe Clear Digital under unified leadership with the Global Head of Clearing, and expects to continue to facilitate the clearing of cash-settled Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts.
The Company is headquartered in Chicago with offices in Amsterdam, Belfast, Hong Kong, Kansas City, London, Manila, New York, San Francisco, Sarasota Springs, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto.
Recent Developments
Pyth Tokens Unlocking
In October 2022, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cboe NL entered into a Data Provider Agreement with Pyth Data Association (“Pyth”) to create a data feed and begin publishing limited derived equities market data for certain symbols from one of its four U.S. equities exchanges on the Pyth Network, a decentralized financial market data distribution platform for aggregated data. In exchange, Pyth granted Cboe NL 16,666,666 restricted PYTH tokens which unlock annually over a four-year period in equal tranches; the first 25% tranche of PYTH tokens unlocked in May 2024. The PYTH tokens, which are included within intangible assets, net in the condensed consolidated balance sheets, are carried at their historical value of $0.06 per token and are reviewed each reporting period for potential impairment. In May 2024, the Company recorded $1.0 million in market data fees revenue on the condensed consolidated statements of income, which represents the historical value of the grant of 16,666,666 restricted PYTH tokens earned for satisfying the performance obligations outlined in the Data Provider Agreement.
Business Segments
The Company operates six reportable business segments: Options, North American Equities, Europe and Asia Pacific, Futures, Global FX, and Digital, which is reflective of how the Company's CODM reviews and operates the business, as discussed in Note 1 (“Organization and Basis of Presentation”). Segment performance is primarily evaluated based on operating income (loss). The Company’s CODM does not use segment-level assets or income and expenses below operating income (loss) as key performance metrics; therefore, such information is not presented below. The Company has aggregated all of its corporate costs, as well as other business ventures, within the Corporate Items and Eliminations totals based on the decision that those activities should not be used to evaluate the operating performance of the segments; however, operating expenses that relate to activities of a specific segment have been allocated to that segment.
Options. The Options segment includes options on market indices (“index options”), as well as on the stocks of individual corporations (“equity options”) and on ETPs such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), which are “multi-listed” options and listed on a non-exclusive basis. These options are eligible to trade, as applicable, on Cboe Options, C2, BZX, EDGX, and/or other U.S. national security exchanges. Cboe Options is the Company’s primary options market and offers trading in listed options through a single system that integrates electronic trading and traditional open outcry trading on the Cboe Options trading floor in Chicago. C2 Options, BZX Options, and EDGX Options are all-electronic options exchanges, and typically operate with different market models and fee structures than Cboe Options. The Options segment also includes applicable market data fees revenues generated from the consolidated tape plans, the licensing of proprietary options market data, index licensing, routing services, and access and capacity services.
North American Equities. The North American Equities segment includes U.S. equities and ETP transaction services that occur on fully electronic exchanges owned and operated by BZX, BYX, EDGX, and EDGA, equities transactions that occur on the BIDS Trading platform in the U.S. and Canada, and Canadian equities and other transaction services that occur on or through Cboe Canada Inc.’s order books. The North American Equities segment also includes listing services on Cboe Canada Inc., corporate and ETP listings on BZX, applicable market data fees revenues generated from the consolidated tape plans, the licensing of proprietary equities market data, routing services, and access and capacity services.
Europe and Asia Pacific. The Europe and Asia Pacific segment includes the pan-European listed equities and derivatives transaction services, ETPs, exchange-traded commodities, and international depository receipts that are hosted on MTFs operated by Cboe Europe Equities (Cboe Europe and Cboe NL equities exchanges) and Cboe Europe Derivatives (“CEDX”). It also includes the ETP listings business on RMs and clearing activities of Cboe Clear Europe, as well as the equities transaction services of Cboe Australia and Cboe Japan, operators of trading venues in Australia and Japan, respectively, along with equities transactions that occur on the BIDS Trading platform in Australia and Japan. Cboe Europe operates lit and dark books, a periodic auctions book, a closing cross book, and Cboe BIDS Europ
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
As a result of our operating activities, we are exposed to market risks such as foreign currency exchange rate risk, equity risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. We have implemented policies and procedures to measure, manage and monitor and report risk exposures, which are reviewed regularly by management and our Board of Directors.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
Our operations in Europe, Canada and Asia Pacific are subject to increased currency translation risk as revenues and expenses are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, and Japanese Yen. We also have de minimis exposure to other foreign currencies, including the Singapore dollar and Philippine Peso.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, our primary exposure to foreign-denominated revenues less cost of revenues and expenses is presented by foreign currency in the following table (in millions, except percentages):
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Euros (1) | British Pounds (1) | Canadian Dollars (1) | Euros (1) | British Pounds (1) | Canadian Dollars (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign denominated % of: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues less cost of revenues | 5.5 | % | 2.9 | % | 1.4 | % | 5.7 | % | 2.9 | % | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | 7.7 | % | 9.1 | % | 3.9 | % | 7.0 | % | 8.0 | % | 3.8 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Impact of 10% adverse currency fluctuation on: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues less cost of revenues | $ | 2.9 | $ | 1.5 | $ | 0.7 | $ | 8.8 | $ | 4.5 | $ | 2.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | 1.7 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 2.8 |
(1)An average foreign exchange rate to the U.S. dollar for the period was used. See Item 2 (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”) for the table summarizing the changes in certain operational and financial metrics for more information.
Equity Risk
Our investment in European, Canadian, and Asia Pacific operations is exposed to volatility in currency exchange rates through translation of our net assets or equity to U.S. dollars. The assets and liabilities of our European businesses are denominated in British pounds or Euros. The assets and liabilities of our Canadian businesses are denominated in Canadian dollars. The assets and liabilities of our Asia Pacific businesses are denominated in Australian dollars, Japanese Yen, Singapore dollars, Hong Kong dollars, or Philippine Pesos. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may create volatility in our reported results as we are required to translate foreign currency reported statements of financial condition and operational results into U.S. dollars for consolidated reporting. The translation of these non-U.S. dollar statements of financial condition into U.S. dollars for consolidated reporting results in a cumulative translation adjustment, which is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net within stockholders' equity on our condensed consolidated balance sheet.
Our primary exposure to this equity risk as of September 30, 2024 is presented by foreign currency in the following table (in millions):
| Euros (1) | British Pounds (1) | Canadian Dollars (1) | |||||||||||||||
| Net equity investment in Cboe Europe Equities and Derivatives, Cboe Clear Europe, and Cboe Canada Inc. | $ | 199.9 | $ | 645.9 | $ | 523.8 | |||||||||||
| Impact on consolidated equity of a 10% adverse currency fluctuation | 20.0 | 64.6 | 52.4 |
(1)Converted to U.S. dollars using the foreign exchange rate of Euros per U.S. dollar, British pounds per U.S. dollar, and Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar, respectively, as of September 30, 2024.
Credit Risk
We are exposed to credit risk from third parties, including customers, counterparties and clearing agents. These parties may default on their obligations due to bankruptcy, lack of liquidity, operational failure or other reasons. We limit our exposure to credit risk by considering such risk when selecting the counterparties with which we make investments and execute agreements.
We do not have counterparty credit risk with respect to trades matched on our exchanges in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. With respect to listed equities, we deliver matched trades of our customers to the NSCC without taking on counterparty risk for those trades. NSCC acts as a central counterparty on all equity transactions occurring on BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement of all of our matched equity trades. Similarly, with respect to U.S. listed equity options and futures, we deliver matched trades of our customers to the OCC, which acts as a central counterparty on all transactions occurring on Cboe Options, C2, BZX, EDGX and CFE and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement of all of our matched options and futures trades. With respect to U.S. government securities transactions, we deliver matched trades to FICC’s GSD without taking on counterparty risk for those trades. FICC GSD acts as a central counterparty on all U.S. government securities transactions occurring on Cboe Fixed Income and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement of all of those matched trades. With respect to Canadian equities, we deliver matched trades of our customers to The Canadian Depository for Securities, which acts as a central counterparty on all transactions occurring on Cboe Canada Inc. and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement of all of our matched Canadian equities trades. The BIDS Trading ATS platform delivers matched trades to BOA, which delivers the matched trades to the NSCC. BOA guarantees the trade until one day after the trade date, after which time the NSCC provides a guarantee. Thus, BIDS Trading is potentially exposed to credit risk to the counterparty between the trade date and one day after the trade date in the event BOA fails. With respect to Australian equities and derivatives, we deliver matched trades of our customers to ASX Clear Pty Ltd and ASX Settlement Pty Ltd. ASX Clear Pty Ltd acts as a central counterparty on all transactions occurring on Cboe Australia and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement on all of our matched trades in Australia. With respect to Japanese equities, we deliver matched trades of our customers to the Japanese Securities Clearing Corporation, which acts as a central counterparty on all transactions occurring on Cboe Japan and, as such, guarantees clearance and settlement on all of our matched trades in Japan.
With respect to orders Cboe Trading routes to other markets for execution on behalf of our customers, Cboe Trading is exposed to some counterparty credit risk in the case of failure to perform on the part of our clearing firms, Morgan Stanley or Wedbush. Morgan Stanley and Wedbush guarantee trades until one day after the trade date, after which time NSCC provides a guarantee. The BIDS Trading ATS platform delivers matched trades to BOA, which delivers the matched trades to the NSCC. Thus, Cboe Trading is potentially exposed to credit risk to the counterparty to a trade routed to another market center between the trade date and one day after the trade date in the event that Morgan Stanley or Wedbush fails. The BIDS Trading ATS platform is potentially exposed to counterparty credit risk on equities trades between the trade date and one day after the trade date in the event that BOA fails. We believe that any potential requirement for us to make payments under these guarantees is remote and accordingly, have not recorded any liability in the condensed consolidated financial statements for these guarantees.
Historically, we have not incurred any liability due to a customer’s failure to satisfy its contractual obligations as counterparty to a system trade. Credit difficulties or insolvency, or the perceived possibility of credit difficulties or insolvency, of one or more larger or more visible market participants could also result in market-wide credit difficulties or other market disruptions.
We do not have counterparty credit risk with respect to institutional spot FX trades occurring on our platform because Cboe FX is not a counterparty to any FX transactions. All transactions occurring on our platform occur bilaterally between two banks or prime brokers as counterparties to the trade. While Cboe FX does not have direct counterparty risk, Cboe FX may suffer a decrease in transaction volume if a bank or prime broker experiences an event that causes other prime brokers to decrease or revoke the credit available to the prime broker experiencing the event. Therefore, Cboe FX may have risk that is related to the credit of the banks and prime brokers that trade FX on the Cboe FX platform.
We also have credit risk related to transaction fees that are billed in arrears to customers on a monthly basis. Our potential exposure to credit losses on these transactions is represented by the receivable balances in our balance sheet. Our customers are financial institutions whose ability to satisfy their contractual obligations may be impacted by volatile securities markets.
The Company is exposed to further credit and investment risk through our clearing operations. Cboe Clear Europe holds material amounts of clearing participant collateral, both cash and non-cash deposits, which are held or invested primarily to provide security of capital while minimizing credit risk as well as liquidity and market risks. Cboe Digital holds amounts of clearing participant collateral including cash and digital assets, which are held primarily to provide security of capital while minimizing credit risk as well as custody, valuation and market risks. The following is a summary of the risks associated with these deposits and how these risks are mitigated:
- Credit Risk - The credit risk is predominantly in the event a clearing participant fails to meet a financial or contractual obligation and related to custodians and settlement banks. Cboe Clear Europe attempts to mitigate this risk through minimum participant requirements for clearing participants and monitoring their financial health. To cover potential loss to Cboe Clear Europe in the event of a clearing participant default, collateral is required from clearing participants. Besides potential defaults of clearing participants, the main credit risk faced by the clearinghouse is exposure to clearing participants when a trade fails to settle. To help mitigate this risk, a fail fee is
charged to discourage late settlements. This fee covers Cboe Clear Europe’s costs but also acts as a deterrent as required by applicable settlement efficiency regulation. Cboe Clear Digital sets minimum financial requirements on custodian institutions and any clearing member that may expose the clearinghouse to credit risk. The financial strength of custodians and such clearing members are monitored routinely. Furthermore, Cboe Digital requires clearing members to post collateral (full or margined, depending on the product eligible for clearing) or other forms of financial guarantee and their trading activities are subject to pre-trade checks enforced by Cboe Digital Exchange and administered by Cboe Clear Digital. On June 5, 2023, the CFTC approved an amended order of registration for Cboe Clear Digital to clear digital asset futures on a margined basis for futures commission merchants. The new products launched January 11, 2024. As of September 30, 2024, Cboe Digital does not expect a material loss concerning credit risk on any member participant, custodian, or settlement bank.
- Liquidity Risk - Liquidity risk is the risk Cboe Clear Europe may not be able to meet its payment obligations in the right currency, in the right place and at the right time. To help mitigate this risk, Cboe Clear Europe monitors its liquidity requirements closely and maintains funds and assets in a manner which attempt to minimize the risk of loss or delay in the access by the clearinghouse to such funds and assets. For example, holding funds with a central bank where possible or making only short-term investments serves to help reduce liquidity risks. Liquidity is mainly required for securities settlement. The payment and settlement obligations generally stem from the function of Cboe Clear Europe as a cash equity clearinghouse: shares are bought and sold by clearing participants on a trading platform or OTC, and netted to settle two days later. During the settlement the actual payment for and delivery of the shares take place, this process requires intraday liquidity. If counterparties, which receive shares against payment, are unable to settle, an overnight liquidity need arises. The overnight liquidity is typically very short term, and is usually limited to a few days. Cboe Clear Digital monitors its liquidity requirements closely and maintains funds and assets in a manner which attempt to minimize the risk of loss or delay in the access by the clearinghouse to such funds and assets. For example, only allowing highly liquid USD denominated assets to be posted as collateral. Cboe Clear Digital may not be able to meet its payment obligations in a timely manner in the event of delay in payment or default by a clearing member.
Cboe Clear Europe entered into a €1.20 billion committed syndicated multicurrency revolving and swingline credit facility that is available to be drawn by Cboe Clear Europe towards (a) financing unsettled amounts in connection with the settlement of transactions in securities and other items processed through Cboe Clear Europe’s clearing system and (b) financing any other liability or liquidity requirement of Cboe Clear Europe incurred in the operation of its clearing system, however we can give no assurance that this facility will be sufficient to meet all such obligations or sufficiently mitigate Cboe Clear Europe’s liquidity risk to meet its payment obligations when due.
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Custody Risk – Cboe Digital previously held customer digital clearing assets through accounts with third-party custodians and, in the case of hot and warm wallets, through self-custody. Cboe Digital’s custody strategy was designed to maximize liquidity and efficient access to assets by making those assets readily available. Cboe Digital monitors its cash and the former digital asset balances it maintains or formerly maintained with custodians. Digital assets required control of one or more unique public and private keys relating to the local or online digital wallet in which the digital assets were held. The networks required one or more private keys relating to a digital wallet to authorize a spending transaction. If private keys were lost or destroyed, this could have prevented the ability to transfer the corresponding digital asset. Security breaches, computer malware, and computer hacking attacks have been a prevalent concern in digital asset markets. Cboe Digital committed to securely storing digital assets it formerly held on behalf of users. As such, Cboe Digital may be liable to its users for losses arising from theft or loss of user private keys. Cboe Digital has no reason to believe it will incur any expense associated with such potential liability because (i) it has no known or historical experience of claims to use as a basis of measurement, (ii) it accounts for and continually verifies the amount of digital assets within its control, (iii) it has established security around custodial private keys to minimize the risk of theft or loss, and (iv) the Company liquidated all digital assets held on behalf of customers as of September 30, 2024.
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Valuation Risk - Cboe Digital was previously exposed to risk with respect to digital asset prices and valuations which were largely based on the supply and demand for those digital assets in financial markets. Cboe Digital’s valuation governance framework included numerous controls and other procedural safeguards that were intended to maximize the quality of fair value measurements. New products and valuation techniques are reviewed and approved by senior management. Cboe Digital’s valuation process for digital assets were fair value estimates that were also validated by the finance control function independently. Independent price verification was performed by finance control through benchmarking fair value estimates with observable market prices or other independent sources. Reasonably designed controls and governance framework were in place and were intended to help
ensure quality third-party pricing sources were used. The Company is no longer exposed to digital asset valuation risk due to the liquidation of digital assets as of September 30, 2024.
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Market Risk – Cboe Clear Europe is also exposed to market risk in the event that a clearing participant defaults and the market prices of the securities in its open positions have moved adversely so the clearinghouse can only close out the participant’s obligations at a loss. To help mitigate market risk, Cboe Clear Europe collects collateral on an end of day and intraday basis from clearing participants to cover for the probable loss during normal market conditions, together with contributions to the clearing fund to cover losses if a default occurred during extreme but plausible market conditions. Adverse movements in exchange rates affecting the value of obligations and collateral are factored into the calculation of the amount of collateral to be collected. To help ensure an orderly market, Cboe Digital previously maintained digital assets to support its clearing operations which may have been subject to significant changes in value and therefore exposure to market risk with fluctuations in market prices. Cboe Digital monitored this risk on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The business model was such that Cboe Digital earned digital assets and at times may have accumulated positions that were subject to market risk. Former customer positions held in digital assets had market risk based on daily activity and settlement prices. Cboe Clear Digital was also exposed to market risk in the event that a clearing participant defaulted and the market prices of the securities in its open positions had moved adversely so the clearinghouse could have only closed out the participant’s obligations at a loss or the clearing participant had already realized trading losses in excess of the collateral at the time of default or the combination of the two. Cboe Clear Digital collects collateral on an end of day and intraday basis from clearing participants that are clearing margin eligible futures contracts. Cboe Clear Digital only allows collateral in USD at this time. Cboe Clear Digital maintains pre-funded resources to cover probable losses during normal market conditions due to default of clearing participants. Cboe Clear Digital clearing members who were previously clearing spot digital assets mostly operated on a fully funded basis. Cboe Clear Digital may have allowed certain well-qualified members to trade in the spot market without fully funding their accounts. Cboe Clear Digital collected collateral from such members to cover probable losses under extreme but plausible market conditions as determined by Cboe Clear Digital. The adequacy of such collateral was routinely reviewed.
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Investment Risk – Cboe Clear Europe, as of September 30, 2024, held $2,033.5 million of clearing member margin deposits, clearing funds, and interoperability funds which are held or invested primarily to provide security of capital while minimizing credit, market and liquidity risks. Effective August 14, 2023, Cboe Clear Europe enacted changes in its rules, and is able to invest the cash collateral received in the form of interoperability fund deposits from clearing participants in certain investments, typically securities issued by pre-approved sovereign issuers and reverse repurchase agreements with overnight maturities. When investments are made in accordance with the policy, Cboe Clear Europe receives the amount of investment earnings and pays the clearing participants those earnings minus a set basis point cost of collateral. Cboe Clear Europe is able to direct the investment of the cash interoperability fund deposits received from the clearing participants within the program parameters and receive an economic benefit from those investments. See Note 12 (“Clearing Operations”) for more information. In the event that a sovereign government or reverse repurchase agreement counterparty defaults, the value we hold as collateral might not be sufficient to cover our capital requirements in the event of defaults. While Cboe Clear Europe seeks to achieve a reasonable rate of return which may generate interest income for clearing participants, Cboe Clear Europe is primarily concerned with preservation of capital and managing the risks associated with these deposits. As Cboe Clear Europe passes on interest revenues (minus costs) to the clearing members, this could include negative or reduced yield due to market conditions. While Cboe Clear Europe has policies and procedures that strive to help ensure that clearing participant collateral is protected, Cboe Clear Europe cannot absolutely assure that these measures and safeguards will be sufficient to protect margin deposits, clearing funds, and interoperability funds from a default or that we will not be materially and adversely affected in the event of a significant default.
On a regular basis, we review and evaluate changes in the status of our counterparties’ creditworthiness. Credit losses such as those described above could adversely affect our condensed consolidated financial position and results of operations. Any such effects to date have been minimal.
Interest Rate Risk
We have exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relating to our cash and cash equivalents, financial investments, and indebtedness. As of September 30, 2024 and 2023, our cash and cash equivalents and financial investments were $802.6 million and $437.1 million, respectively, of which $302.8 million and $220.2 million were held outside of the United States in various foreign subsidiaries in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The remaining cash and cash
equivalents and financial investments are denominated in U.S. dollars. We do not use our investment portfolio for trading or other speculative purposes. Due to the nature of these investments, we have not been exposed to, nor do we anticipate being exposed to, material risks due to changes in interest rates, assuming no change in the amount or composition of our cash and cash equivalents and financial investments.
As of September 30, 2024, we had $1,440.6 million in outstanding debt, all of which relates to our Senior Notes, which bear interest at fixed interest rates. Changes in interest rates will have no impact on the interest we pay on fixed-rate obligations. We are also exposed to changes in interest rates as a result of borrowings under our Revolving Credit Agreement and the Cboe Clear Europe Credit Facility, as these facilities bear interest at fluctuating rates. As of September 30, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Agreement or Cboe Clear Europe Credit Facility, respectively. See Note 10 (“Debt”) to the condensed consolidated financial statements for a discussion of debt agreements.
Liquidity Risk
We are exposed to liquidity risk under certain circumstances in relation to the cross-acceleration and cross-default provisions within the Revolving Credit Agreement as a result of the Company, as guarantor, entering into the Cboe Clear Europe Credit Facility. A default of the Facility may allow lenders to accelerate any related drawn amounts and may result in the acceleration of the Company’s other outstanding debt to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies, which may limit the Company’s liquidity, business, and financing activities. See Note 10 (“Debt”) to the condensed consolidated financial statements for a discussion of debt agreements.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
**a)**Disclosure controls and procedures. The Company’s management, with the participation of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
**b)**Internal controls over financial reporting. No changes occurred in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the third quarter of 2024 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II—OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
Cboe incorporates herein by reference the discussion set forth in Note 21 (“Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees”) of the condensed consolidated financial statements included herein.
Other than the legal proceeding below and incorporated by reference herein, there have been no material updates during the period covered by this Form 10-Q to the Legal Proceedings as set forth in Item 3. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and to the Legal Proceedings as set forth in Item 1. of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024.
Equity Market Structure Rules
In December 2022, the SEC released four equity market structure proposals. On September 18, 2024, the SEC adopted amendments to certain rules of the Regulation National Market System (“NMS”) to amend the minimum pricing increments for the quoting of certain NMS stocks, reduce the access fee caps and enhance the transparency of better priced orders (collectively, the “Final Rules”). The compliance date for the Final Rules will be November 3, 2025, except for the dissemination of “odd-lot information” (including the best-odd lot orders), which will have a compliance date of May 4, 2026.
On October 30, 2024, the Company and the Company’s equities exchanges, BZX, BYX, EDGX, and EDGA (collectively, the “U.S. equities exchanges”) and Nasdaq, Inc. filed a Petition for Review (“PFR”) in the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (the “D.C. Circuit”) appealing the Final Rules. Prior to the PFR filings by the U.S. equities exchanges and Nasdaq, two other entities (We the Investors and Urvin Finance, Inc.) also filed a PFR in the D.C. Circuit.
The Final Rules, amongst other things, are expected to reduce access fee caps to a level that may inhibit our ability to incentivize liquidity on our U.S. equities exchanges, thereby resulting in a reduction in transaction fee revenue, as well as limit our ability to differentiate our fee schedule and compete with other national securities exchanges and off-exchange venues, which may have a material impact on our business, financial condition, and operating results. The Company and the U.S. equities exchanges intend to litigate the matter vigorously.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
There have been no material updates during the period covered by this Form 10-Q to the Risk Factors as set forth in Item 1A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024. These risks and uncertainties, however, are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also significantly impact us. Any risks and uncertainties may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
Share repurchase program
In 2011, the Board of Directors approved an initial authorization for the Company to repurchase shares of its outstanding common stock of $100 million and subsequently approved additional authorizations for a total authorization of $2.3 billion. The program permits the Company to purchase shares, through a variety of methods, including in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, in accordance with applicable securities laws. It does not obligate the Company to make any repurchases at any specific time or situation. The Company repurchased 144,370 shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program during the three months ended September 30, 2024 at an average cost per share of $170.45, for a total value of $24.6 million and had $679.8 million of availability remaining under its existing share repurchase authorizations as of September 30, 2024.
The table below shows the purchases of equity securities by the Company which settled during the three months ended September 30, 2024, reflecting the purchase of common stock under the Company's share repurchase program:
| Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 1 to July 31, 2024 | 144,370 | $ | 170.45 | 144,370 | $ | 179.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| August 1 to August 31, 2024 | — | — | — | 679.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 1 to September 30, 2024 | — | — | — | 679.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 144,370 | $ | 170.45 | 144,370 |
Purchase of common stock from employees
The table below reflects the acquisition of common stock by the Company in the three months ended September 30, 2024 that were not part of the publicly announced share repurchase authorization. These shares consisted of shares retained to cover payroll withholding taxes in connection with the vesting of restricted stock unit awards and performance share awards.
| Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid per Share | ||||||||||||
| July 1 to July 31, 2024 | 25 | $ | 169.77 | |||||||||||
| August 1 to August 31, 2024 | 3,861 | 204.47 | ||||||||||||
| September 1 to September 30, 2024 | 386 | 206.71 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 4,272 | $ | 204.47 |
Use of proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities.
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information.
Securities Trading Plans of Executive Officers and Directors
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, our executive officers and directors adopted or terminated contracts, instructions, or written plans for the purchase or sale of our securities as noted below:
| Name and Title | Date of Adoption of Trading Plan | Scheduled Expiration Date of Trading Plan(1) | Aggregate Number of Securities to Be Purchased or Sold | |||||||||||||||||
| David Howson Executive Vice President, Global President | 9/6/2024 (2) | 5/30/2025 | Sale of up to 10,247 shares of common stock to be issued upon the vesting of time-based restricted stock units and up to 100% of the shares of common stock to be issued upon the vesting of 10,538 performance-based restricted stock units |
(1)The trading plan may also expire on such earlier date as all transactions under the trading plan are completed.
(2)Intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5-1(c).
Item 6. Exhibits.
- Indicates Management Compensatory Plan, Contract or Arrangement.
+ Certain confidential portions (as indicated therein) of this exhibit have been omitted.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC. | ||||||||
| Registrant | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Fredric J. Tomczyk | |||||||
| Fredric J. Tomczyk | ||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Date: November 1, 2024 | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Jill M. Griebenow | |||||||
| Jill M. Griebenow | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
| Date: November 1, 2024 |