ICE vs JEF Stock Comparison
Compare ICE and JEF across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between ICE and JEF?
ICE leads the current stock comparison as Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. vs Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
ICE leads
ICE leads by 1 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 11 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support ICE, and its lead is narrowing.
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ICE over JEF, 51 versus 50 as of Sep 11, 2026. ICE's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while JEF holds the stronger value profile. ICE also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ICE today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. ICE lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 11 to 1 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare ICE and JEF against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Value28 vs 56JEF +28
- Quality63 vs 39ICE +24
- Risk Resilience66 vs 45ICE +21
- Momentum54 vs 59JEF +5
3 of 6 evidence groups favor ICE. ICE’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; JEF keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum -4
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum -11
No new signals fired.
The lead changed hands: ICE moved ahead of JEF in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ICE and JEF both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
ICE (Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
JEF (Jefferies Financial Group Inc.): the counter-case, on value, momentum, valuation.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
ICEICE on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
JEFJEF on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
JEFJEF on the peer-relative Value factor, by 28 points.
Momentum
JEFJEF on the Momentum factor, by 5 points.
Lower downside
ICEICE on Risk Resilience, by 21 points.
Analyst upside
EvenAnalyst targets are level or not covered for both names.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | ICE | JEF | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +21.1% | +21.8% | Level |
| Target dispersion | +28.9% | +67.9% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 8 | 5 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ICE. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 51 vs 50 |
| Fundamentals | ICEon balance | revenue growth -1.5% vs 18.8%; EPS growth -31.7% vs 47.2%; TTM ROE 13.8% vs 8.5%; gross margin 73.4% vs 67.9%; operating margin 44.9% vs 7.5% — ICE takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | JEF | Value 28 vs 56 |
| Technicals | ICE | Price vs 50-day 5% vs -4.4%; vs 200-day 0.3% vs 0.7% |
| Risk Resilience | ICE | Risk Resilience 66 vs 45 |
| Analyst expectations | Even | Target upside 21.1% vs 21.8% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ICE and JEF and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has swung materially session to session. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on ICE.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10ICE lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 11 to 1 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- ICE +1
- 51 vs 50
- 7 sessions ago
- ICE +3
- 55 vs 52
- 30 sessions ago
- ICE +11
- 54 vs 43
- 90 sessions ago
- ICE +8
- 47 vs 39
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Sep 10 when ICE moved ahead of JEF.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 2 bearish
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (3.56%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (1.52%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.02%, AIQ -1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -3.65%, AIQ -3 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1JEF closes the Quality gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to ICE's edge.
- 2JEF's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3ICE starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 10 points over 30 sessions, and a further 1-point move would eliminate ICE's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
ICE leads on balance| Metric | ICE | JEF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -1.5% | 18.8% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -31.7% | 47.2% |
| Gross margin | 73.4% | 67.9% |
| Operating margin | 44.9% | 7.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 13.8% | 8.5% |
| Debt to equity | 0.69 | 3.48 |
Performance
ICE leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | ICE | JEF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1.3% | 1.9% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 3% | -1.6% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 11% | -6.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -0.8% | 39.3% |
| Year to date | -3.8% | -13% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -10.4% | -16% |
Technicals
ICE has the stronger structure| Metric | ICE | JEF |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 44.9 | 61.5 |
| ADX (14) | 36.9 | 24.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 5% | -4.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 24.4% | 24.9% |
Risk
ICE is the more resilient| Metric | ICE | JEF |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.25 | 1.72 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.46 | -0.28 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.62 | -0.32 |
| Max drawdown | -30.2% | -48.8% |
| Current drawdown | -11.6% | -23.4% |
| Annualized volatility | 25.1% | 43.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.4% | -4.5% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, ICE or JEF?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ICE is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 51 against JEF's 50. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. JEF is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is ICE or JEF the better buy right now?
ICE carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor ICE over JEF?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. JEF leads Value by 28 points; ICE leads Quality by 24 points; ICE leads Risk Resilience by 21 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, ICE or JEF?
Analyst price targets imply +21.1% upside for ICE and +21.8% for JEF. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, ICE or JEF?
JEF is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. JEF on the peer-relative Value factor, by 28 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, ICE or JEF?
JEF on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, ICE or JEF?
JEF on the Momentum factor, by 5 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, ICE or JEF?
ICE is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. ICE on Risk Resilience, by 21 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is ICE more profitable than JEF?
ICE leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 73.4% vs 67.9%; operating margin 44.9% vs 7.5%; ttm roe 13.8% vs 8.5%.
Is ICE's lead over JEF getting stronger or weaker?
ICE lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 11 to 1 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-10, when ICE moved ahead of JEF.
What would change the ICE vs JEF verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: JEF closes the Quality gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to ICE's edge; JEF's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; ICE starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 10 points over 30 sessions, and a further 1-point move would eliminate ICE's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about ICE and JEF?
ICE: 0 bullish / 2 bearish. JEF: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. The most decision-relevant rule on ICE is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On JEF it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare ICE and JEF with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.