The Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) on Thursday reported fourth-quarter net income of $87 million.
On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had profit of 50 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 75 cents per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 74 cents per share.
The exchange operator posted revenue of $517 million in the period, falling short of Street forecasts. Analysts expected $522.5 million, according to Zacks.
Nasdaq OMX shares have fallen 6 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has fallen nearly 3 percent. The stock has climbed 20 percent in the last 12 months.