In the year 2025, stocks like Nvidia and Palantir might grab all the attention in headlines about the stock market. However, there’s another stock that flies under the radar but is worth keeping an eye on. Remarkably, this stock seems to be undervalued compared to Nvidia and Palantir, and surprisingly, it’s not a tech company. It’s actually a financial institution – Interactive Brokers (IBKR).
This company appears to be on an upward trajectory, with increasing revenues, profits, and a substantial growth in customer accounts. Given its track record of success, recent surge in customer base, and competitive edge as a cost-effective player, it’s quite probable that its shares will experience significant growth over the next ten years.
Stellar second-quarter results
As Interactive Brokers’ shares climbed approximately 35% so far this year before their second-quarter earnings release, it was clear that anticipations were high. Luckily, the company, known for its automation and cost-effectiveness in the pure-play brokerage sector, exceeded these expectations. The main driver behind the total revenue surge, which was over 20% year on year, was a significant 27% rise in commissions. Moreover, earnings per share also saw an increase of more than 24% compared to last year.
A robust foundation such as this significantly contributes to the increase in a growth stock’s evaluation ratio. Currently, the shares are being traded at an elevated price-to-earnings ratio of 33, which is a rise from approximately 25 at the start of the year and a jump from 20 during the market sell-off in April.
Momentum where it matters most
To truly appreciate the optimistic outlook on Interactive Brokers, it’s essential to delve deeper than just their reported income growth and earnings per share. What really highlights their progress is the robust statistics related to their online brokerage customers.
Overseeing the bustling landscape of Interactive Brokers, I noticed a significant growth in their client base this past quarter. In fact, the number of active customer accounts swelled by an astounding 32%, reaching a total of approximately 3.87 million.
The company’s investments in automation are helping.
During a recent conference call about their second-quarter financial results, Interactive Brokers’ Director of Investor Relations, Nancy Stuebe, pointed out that the company’s account processing is heavily automated and consistently improving. This automation enables us to manage increased numbers of new accounts effectively, without requiring substantial additions to our workforce or operational costs.
The company has added 528,000 customers in 2025 alone.
Moreover, the surge in customer engagement is contributing positively. On a year-on-year basis, the daily average revenue trades (DARTs) for the quarter skyrocketed by 49%, reaching approximately 3.55 million.
Recently, the dynamic stock market has been influencing the increase in activities. This span of time encompasses the significant drop in April and the swift rebound, often referred to as a V-shaped recovery, in the stock market.
During the earnings discussion, Stuebe pointed out that periods of volatility and uncertainty tend to stimulate higher market engagement. This heightened activity, coupled with our robust expansion in new accounts, resulted in a significant rise in our clients’ trading volumes across stocks, options, and futures.
As an observer, I can’t help but notice that Interactive Brokers has been consistently experiencing a significant surge in customer momentum, with robust double-digit growth in client accounts. This growth appears to be steady, irrespective of market volatility from one quarter to another.
While it’s plausible that the recent rates of customer account growth and DART might not maintain this pace, investors should anticipate continued, double-digit growth in both these key client metrics for the foreseeable future, potentially reaching the teens or even beyond.
The bull case
In essence, Interactive Broker’s steady growth in client base, coupled with its highly-automated business model, sets the stage for consistent income expansion over an extended period.
Absolutely, there are potential challenges. For example, if other brokerages manage to duplicate Interactive Brokers’ automation features, they might regain market share and potentially impede Interactive Brokers’ expansion in the long run. Additionally, it’s worth noting that over half of the company’s income comes from interest earned on investments. If the Federal Reserve decides to reduce interest rates, this part of their revenue could be adversely affected.
Despite potential risks and decreases in net interest income over time, Interactive Brokers’ robust customer growth is expected to more than compensate for this decline. Additionally, it’s highly unlikely that competitors will successfully replicate Interactive Brokers’ unique automation method, a sophisticated process honed by the company over many years. Although there are no assurances that the stock will outperform the market in the long run, it appears to be a strong contender. Given its history of volatility, owning this stock is likely to involve some turbulence, but it could potentially prove to be a wise investment.
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2025-07-24 14:58