<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>Interactive Brokers operates one of the largest digital platforms for buying and selling stocks, futures, options crypto, and more. </li><li>The company's commission revenue is getting a boost from stock market volatility amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. </li><li>Interactive stock has nearly doubled during the past 12 months, but there might still be room for upside. </li><li>10 stocks we like better than Interactive Brokers Group ›</li></ul>The stock market is off to a rollercoaster start to 2026. The benchmark S&amp;P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) was down 9% from its peak at its March low point, only to recover all of its losses and set a new high in April. The persistent geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran have sparked wild swings in oil prices, and investors are trying to determine how this will affect corporate earnings and the economy.Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) operates one of the world's largest digital investing platforms, where its clients buy and sell stocks, futures, options, cryptocurrencies, and more. Extreme volatility in the stock market typically fuels strong growth in the company's commission revenue, which is why investors are piling into its stock in 2026, propelling it to a 21% gain so far (as of April 22).Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »As a result, Interactive is crushing the S&amp;P 500, the Nasdaq-100, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), which are nursing modest gains of between 3% and 6% in 2026 after their recent recoveries.Here's why I think the brokerage giant will continue to outperform the market.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2Njg2Mi9hLXNtaWxpbmctaW52ZXN0b3ItY2VsZWJyYXRpbmctYS13aW4tb24tdGhlLWZsb29yLW9mLXRoZS1zdG9jay1leGNoYW5nZS5qcGcmdz03MDA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="369" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2Njg2Mi9hLXNtaWxpbmctaW52ZXN0b3ItY2VsZWJyYXRpbmctYS13aW4tb24tdGhlLWZsb29yLW9mLXRoZS1zdG9jay1leGNoYW5nZS5qcGcmdz03MDA"/>Image source: Getty Images. <h2>Investors are flocking to Interactive's platform</h2>Stock market volatility tends to grab headlines and pique the interest of new potential investors. As a result, Interactive had a record 4.75 million client accounts at the end of the first quarter, which was up by a blistering 31% compared to the year-ago period. Client equity was also at a record high of $789.4 billion at the end of the quarter, which measures the total value of the cash and financial assets in every Interactive account. That was up 38% year over year, which actually marked an acceleration from 37% growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, just three months earlier. Since Interactive earns commissions based on the value of every trade, a higher equity figure can translate into more revenue over time.Interactive processed an average of 4.37 million transactions every day during the opening three months of 2026, a 24% increase. That included a 25% rise in stock trading volume, a 20% gain in futures volume, and a 16% increase in options volume, reflecting the heightened volatility in the markets.The wild market swings didn't seem to damp risk appetite, though, because Interactive's margin loan book swelled by 35% to $86 billion during the quarter, so investors were still borrowing truckloads of money to buy stocks and other financial assets. <h2>A strong first quarter at the top and bottom lines</h2>Interactive generated $1.67 billion in total revenue during the first quarter, representing 17% growth from the year-ago period. There were three primary components to that number:<ol> <li>$904 million in net interest income, representing the interest Interactive earned on margin loans, client cash balances, and its own corporate cash balance. This grew by 17%.</li> <li>$613 million in commission revenue, which jumped by 19% thanks to heightened trading volumes.</li> <li>$152 million in other fees and charges, which grew by a modest 6%.</li> </ol>It was a good sign that commission revenue grew faster than all other sources, because this is the money Interactive earned from operating its core business. The company has less control over its net interest revenue, because it's heavily influenced by external factors like the direction of interest rates, and investors' appetite for risky margin loans.Interactive's strong total revenue, combined with only a very modest increase in operating expenses, resulted in a 23% increase in the company's earnings, which came in at $0.59 per share. <h2>More upside might be in store for Interactive stock</h2>Not only is Interactive stock beating the market in 2026 with its 21% gain, but it has also nearly doubled over the last 12 months. It isn't exactly cheap after that blistering run; based on the company's trailing-12-month earnings of $2.32 per share, it's trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 33.6, a premium to both the S&amp;P 500 and the Nasdaq-100. However, I'm not surprised investors are paying up to own a slice of Interactive. The financial markets are likely to remain volatile for the foreseeable future, given the ongoing war in Iran and the midterm congressional elections in November, which could shift the balance of power in Washington, D.C. Therefore, the market is probably pricing in continued strength in Interactive's commission revenue.However, the company has also overcome one of its biggest risks of late: falling interest rates. The Federal Reserve has cut rates three times since September 2024, which would normally dent Interactive's net interest revenue, but the enormous growth in the company's margin loan book is offsetting this headwind. To put it another way, what Interactive is losing by charging lower interest rates, it's making up for in sheer loan volume.As a result, I think the strength across Interactive's business will fuel continued upside in its stock from here.<h2>Should you buy stock in Interactive Brokers Group right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in Interactive Brokers Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Interactive Brokers Group wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $502,837!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,241,433!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 977% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 200% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of April 24, 2026. Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

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Interactive Brokers is outperforming major indices in 2026, with a 21% stock gain amid market volatility due to U.S.-Iran tensions. The company reported a record 4.75 million client accounts and $789.4 billion in client equity, reflecting a 31% year-over-year increase. Total revenue for Q1 reached $1.67 billion, up 17%, driven by a 19% rise in commission revenue. Despite a high P/E ratio of 33.6, investors are optimistic about continued growth as market volatility is expected to persist.

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