ICE vs. AFL
ICE (Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.) and AFL (Aflac Incorporated) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — ICE in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges, AFL in Insurance - Life. Over the past 10 years, ICE returned 11.91%/yr vs 15.84%/yr for AFL. At a 0.42 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
ICE vs. AFL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ICE achieves a -12.95% return, which is significantly lower than AFL's 7.95% return. Over the past 10 years, ICE has underperformed AFL with an annualized return of 11.91%, while AFL has yielded a comparatively higher 15.84% annualized return.
ICE
- 1D
- 1.12%
- 1M
- -9.22%
- YTD
- -12.95%
- 6M
- -13.36%
- 1Y
- -20.60%
- 3Y*
- 10.22%
- 5Y*
- 5.87%
- 10Y*
- 11.91%
AFL
- 1D
- 1.16%
- 1M
- 2.54%
- YTD
- 7.95%
- 6M
- 8.17%
- 1Y
- 17.23%
- 3Y*
- 21.87%
- 5Y*
- 18.60%
- 10Y*
- 15.84%
ICE vs. AFL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. | -12.95% | 9.92% | 17.46% | 27.12% | -23.91% | 19.94% | 26.15% | 24.47% | 8.11% | 26.60% |
AFL Aflac Incorporated | 7.95% | 8.94% | 28.08% | 17.36% | 26.41% | 34.55% | -13.60% | 18.55% | 6.20% | 29.02% |
Correlation
The correlation between ICE and AFL is 0.25, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.39 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 16, 2005 | 0.42 |
The correlation between ICE and AFL shifts across timeframes, from 0.25 (1 year) to 0.42 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
ICE:
$80.10B
AFL:
$60.64B
ICE:
$6.85
AFL:
$8.76
ICE:
20.53
AFL:
13.45
ICE:
2.48
AFL:
3.49
ICE:
6.15
AFL:
3.42
ICE:
2.71
AFL:
2.70
ICE:
$13.08B
AFL:
$18.22B
ICE:
$8.93B
AFL:
$8.70B
ICE:
$7.05B
AFL:
$6.67B
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Return for Risk
ICE vs. AFL — Risk / Return Rank
ICE
AFL
ICE vs. AFL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) and Aflac Incorporated (AFL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| ICE | AFL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.96 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.73 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.85 | 1.18 | -0.33 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.80 | 1.90 | -2.70 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.50 | 4.72 | -6.22 |
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Drawdowns
ICE vs. AFL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ICE drawdown since its inception was -73.94%, smaller than the maximum AFL drawdown of -82.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICE and AFL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ICE | AFL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -73.94% | -82.71% | +8.77% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -25.87% | -9.11% | -16.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.87% | -13.56% | -12.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.32% | -19.86% | -14.46% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.32% | -54.89% | +20.57% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -24.75% | -0.37% | -24.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.46% | -11.65% | -4.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.74% | 3.66% | +10.08% |
Volatility
ICE vs. AFL - Volatility Comparison
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) has a higher volatility of 6.26% compared to Aflac Incorporated (AFL) at 5.65%. This indicates that ICE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AFL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ICE | AFL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.26% | 5.65% | +0.61% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 18.52% | 12.28% | +6.24% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 21.86% | 17.07% | +4.79% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.07% | 20.93% | +0.14% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.20% | 25.76% | -3.56% |
Dividends
ICE vs. AFL - Dividend Comparison
ICE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.39%, less than AFL's 2.02% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFL Aflac Incorporated | 2.02% | 2.10% | 1.93% | 2.04% | 2.22% | 2.26% | 2.52% | 2.04% | 2.28% | 1.98% | 2.39% | 2.64% |
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. | 1.39% | 1.19% | 1.21% | 1.31% | 1.48% | 0.97% | 1.04% | 1.19% | 1.27% | 1.13% | 1.21% | 1.13% |
Financials
ICE vs. AFL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and Aflac Incorporated. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
ICE vs. AFL - Profitability Comparison
ICE - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.89B and revenue of 3.67B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 78.8%.
AFL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a gross profit of 2.48B and revenue of 4.32B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 57.5%.
ICE - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.67B and revenue of 3.67B, resulting in an operating margin of 45.4%.
AFL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported an operating income of 1.23B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in an operating margin of 28.4%.
ICE - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported a net income of 1.41B and revenue of 3.67B, resulting in a net margin of 38.5%.
AFL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a net income of 1.02B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in a net margin of 23.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions
ICE and AFL have a correlation of 0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
ICE has higher volatility (6.26%) compared to AFL (5.65%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ICE dropped -73.94% vs AFL's -82.71%.
AFL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.02 vs -0.95), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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