Interactive Brokers Raises Dividend 71% as Net Interest Income Offsets Trading Slowdown

Interactive Brokers reported third-quarter results on 15 October 2026, with net revenue climbing 16% year over year to $1.914 billion as growth in client balances lifted net interest income and offset a sequential slowdown in trading. Separately, the board raised the quarterly dividend by 71%, from $0.0875 to $0.15 per share, payable on 14 December to shareholders of record on 1 December.

Net interest income rose 19% to $1.154 billion from $967 million, while commission revenue increased 12% to $602 million. Pretax income climbed 14% to $1.496 billion, and diluted earnings came in at $0.69 per share, up 17% from $0.59. On an adjusted basis, net revenue was $1.87 billion, pretax income $1.45 billion and diluted earnings $0.67 per share, with the adjusted pretax margin easing to 78% from 79%.

The interest result reflected larger balances rather than richer yields. Average customer margin loans reached $104.0 billion, up 47% from $70.8 billion a year earlier, and average customer credit balances rose 25% to $176.6 billion. Net interest margin narrowed to 1.99% from 2.16%, the annualised yield on margin loans slipped to 4.25% from 4.60%, and the yield on segregated cash and securities fell to 3.40% from 3.81%.

Trading cools from a strong second quarter

Total DARTs averaged 4.27 million, 18% higher than a year earlier but 11% below the second quarter, when commission revenue stood at $673 million. Customer futures volume rose 13% year over year, while stock and options volumes declined 24% and 1% respectively. Average commission per cleared commissionable order fell 4% to $2.59. Execution, clearing and distribution expenses jumped 46% to $134 million, largely because of a $30 million increase in regulatory fees after a higher SEC Section 31 transaction fee rate, a cost the broker passes through to customers.

The company ended September with 5.58 million customer accounts, up 35% year over year, and $964.7 billion in customer equity, an annual increase of 27%.