Nasdaq grew revenue 15 percent and said it listed SpaceX in the second quarter

Nasdaq said it took SpaceX public in the second quarter. Adena Friedman, the chair and chief executive, described the listing as the largest initial public offering in exchange history, in results the company dated July 23. That claim is the company's, and it sat inside a quarter of records.

Net revenue was $1.5bn, up 15 percent from a year earlier. GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.89 rose 14 percent, and the non-GAAP figure the company prefers, $1.07, rose 25 percent. Solutions revenue, the software and data side of the business, grew 17 percent. Annualized recurring revenue reached $3.3bn, up 11 percent, and software-as-a-service now accounts for 38 percent of it.

Index revenue told the sharpest story. It grew 38 percent to $271m, on $51bn of net inflows in the quarter and $109bn over the trailing year, and the company said its index exchange-traded products passed $1 trillion in assets.

The capital return was steady. Nasdaq returned $174m through dividends and $356m through buybacks, and net repaid $162m of debt. Sarah Youngwood, the chief financial officer, pointed to expanding operating margins and strong cash flow.