Investments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Investments

Investments

Equity Method Investments

Our equity method investments include the Options Clearing Corporation, or OCC, and Bakkt Holdings, LLC, or Bakkt, among others. Our equity method investments are included in other non-current assets in the consolidated balance sheets. We initially record our equity method investments at cost. At the end of each reporting period, we record our share of profits or losses of our equity method investments as equity earnings included in other income and adjust the carrying value of our equity method investment accordingly. In addition, if and when our equity method investments issue cash dividends to us, we deduct the amount of these dividends from the carrying amount of that investment. We assess the carrying value periodically if impairment indicators are present.

We recognized $42 million and $35 million as our share of estimated losses, net, from our equity method investments during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The estimated losses are primarily related to our investment in Bakkt, partially offset by our share of OCC profits. Both periods include adjustments to reflect the difference between reported prior period actual results from our original estimates.

When performing our assessment of the carrying value of our investments, we consider, among other things, the length of time and the extent to which the market value has been less than our cost basis, if applicable, the investee's financial condition and near-term prospects, the economic or technological environment in which our investees operate, weakening of the general market condition of the related industry, whether an investee can continue as a going concern, any impairment charges recorded by an investee on goodwill, intangible or long-lived assets, and our intent and ability to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value.

OCC

We own a 40% interest in OCC through a direct investment by the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE. OCC is regulated by the SEC as a registered clearing agency and by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, as a derivatives clearing organization. OCC serves as a clearing house for securities options, securities futures, commodity futures and options on futures traded on various independent exchanges. OCC clears securities options traded on NYSE Arca and NYSE Amex Options, along with other non-affiliated exchanges.

Bakkt

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we held an approximate 55% and 64% economic interest in Bakkt, respectively. As a result of limitations on ICE from the Bakkt voting agreement entered into in connection with Bakkt's merger with VIH, we hold a minority voting interest in Bakkt and treat it as an equity method investment. The decrease in ownership during the three months ended March 31, 2024 is related to Bakkt's offering of shares of its Class A common stock and warrants to purchase shares of its Class A common stock, which diluted our ownership. As part of the offering, on February 29, 2024, we entered into a securities purchase agreement to purchase shares of Bakkt's Class A common stock and warrants to purchase additional shares of Bakkt's Class A common stock for a total of $10 million, of which approximately $2 million was paid as of March 31, 2024.

As of March 31, 2024, the carrying value of our investment in Bakkt was determined to be $14 million. As Bakkt is a public company with a readily available market price, the fair value of our investment using the quoted market price of Bakkt Class A common stock as of March 31, 2024 was $82 million.