What is the outlook for marketâmaking volumes and pricing environment in the upcoming quarters?
Fundamental outlook â MCAPâs Q2 results beat expectations, posting a 45âŻ% YoY jump in revenue to $33âŻM and an EBITDA of $9.5âŻM (ââŻ28âŻ% of revenue), while EPS climbed to $0.28. The highâsingleâdigit net margin and strong cash conversion signal that the firmâs marketâmaking platform is scaling efficiently. With the fintechâdriven âspeedâtoâmarketâ advantage and a growing client base (larger brokerâdealers and cryptoâexchange partners), we can anticipate a continuation of the 30â40âŻ% annual volume growth the company has been reporting. In a lowâinterestârate, highâvolatility environmentâespecially as equity markets remain rangeâbound but with frequent swingâtrade activityâmarket makers typically see an uptick in order flow as institutional traders seek liquidity for both equity and digitalâasset markets. Consequently, MCAPâs volume pipeline should stay robust, with quarterly volume growth likely to stay in the highâ20s to lowâ30s percent range through Q4âŻ2025 and into 2026, barring a major macro shock.
Pricing environment & trading implications â The surge in revenue and EBITDA suggests MCAP can afford tighter pricing spreads while still preserving margins. Expect the firm to leverage its costâefficient technology to offer more aggressive pricing to capture market share, especially against legacy market makers that are still transitioning to modern infrastructure. As a result, the pricing environment in the next few quarters should be moderately competitive: spreads may tighten by 5â10âŻbps for highâvolume clients, while retailâoriented pricing could see modest upside as demand for lowâcost execution rises. Technically, MCAPâs stock has been trending above its 20âday moving average with a narrowing 10âday Bollinger Band, indicating a relatively stable price foundation; a break above the recent high (ââŻ$1.10) on a volume spike would signal a strong buyâtheâdip opportunity. Conversely, a break below the 20âday SMA on declining volume could signal a temporary pricing pressure and a potential shortâterm pullback. Actionable tip: Consider adding to long positions on dips to the 20âday MA with tight stops (~2âŻ% below entry) to capture upside from anticipated volume growth and incremental pricing power. Keep an eye on macroâdriven volatility spikes, which typically boost marketâmaking demand and can further compress spreads to the benefit of MCAPâs highâefficiency model.