Bulls Still Betting on ICE

Don't expect IntercontinentalExchange(ICE Quote) to cool its heels for long.

Shares of the Atlanta-based futures and commodities exchange have tripled over the last year, as the company has ridden the strong growth of financial markets and a global exchange merger wave. But the stock has fallen 15% from its high in February, as questions have emerged about ICE's place in the quickly consolidating industry.

ICE first tried being an acquirer, with March's $9.9 billion unsolicited bid for the Chicago Board of Trade(BOT Quote). The company appears to have been frozen out of that deal when Chicago Mercantile Exchange(CME Quote) raised its bid for the CBOT earlier this month. ...