CME Group (NASDAQ:CME – Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Rothschild & Co Redburn from $347.00 to $340.00 in a report issued on Monday morning,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.
Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $305.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $310.00 target price on shares of CME Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $295.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of CME Group from $356.00 to $349.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $262.00 to $266.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $309.65.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on CME
CME Group Trading Down 0.0%
CME Group (NASDAQ:CME – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.75 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. CME Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 62.45%.The business’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.52 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that CME Group will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
CME Group Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from CME Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.59%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other CME Group news, Director Martin J. Gepsman sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.90, for a total value of $91,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,999 shares in the company, valued at $7,647,194.10. This represents a 1.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bryan T. Durkin sold 4,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.65, for a total value of $1,300,530.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 43,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,317,117.55. This represents a 8.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 8,539 shares of company stock worth $2,713,821 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On CME Group
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CME. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,523,241,000. Sanders Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,006,932,000. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $636,487,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of CME Group by 746.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,049,649 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $559,720,000 after acquiring an additional 1,807,491 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $217,656,000. 87.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key CME Group News
Here are the key news stories impacting CME Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CME announced it will launch options on Eris SOFR Swap futures on June 16 (pending review), expanding its interest-rate risk management products — a move that can drive trading volumes and fee revenue in rates markets. CME Group to Launch Eris SOFR Swap Options on June 16
- Positive Sentiment: CME is expanding its Equity Index Dividend suite with mid-curve options and new quarterly futures (effective May 11, pending review) — broadening product offering for dividend hedging and likely attracting institutional flow. CME Group to Expand Equity Index Dividend Suite
- Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $329 and kept an overweight rating — a visible vote of confidence that can improve sentiment and attract buyers given the ~10% implied upside from current levels. Piper Sandler Adjusts Price Target on CME Group
- Neutral Sentiment: Earnings previews from Zacks flag CME as likely to post another beat based on current indicators — supportive for fundamentals but only a preview until actual results are reported. CME Group (CME) Earnings Expected to Grow
- Neutral Sentiment: News that FanDuel is pursuing prediction-market contracts without CME involvement this time is a watch item for product competition but not directly material to CME’s core derivatives franchise. FanDuel Registers New Interest In Prediction Market Contracts
- Negative Sentiment: Reports say the CFTC has launched a probe into suspicious oil futures trading on CME and ICE — regulatory scrutiny could pose operational, compliance and reputational risks if investigations find problems. CFTC launches probe into suspicious oil futures trading on CME, ICE – report
- Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn and Barclays lowered their expectations for CME’s stock price — these analyst downgrades can weigh on sentiment and amplify short-term selling pressure even if fundamentals remain intact. Rothschild & Co Redburn Lowers Expectations Barclays Lowers Expectations
CME Group Company Profile
CME Group Inc is a global markets company that operates some of the world’s largest and most liquid derivatives exchanges, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and COMEX. The firm offers futures and options contracts across a broad range of asset classes — including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities and metals — and serves a diverse client base of institutional investors, commercial hedgers, brokers and retail participants.
The company’s core services include electronic trading on the CME Globex platform, central clearing through CME Clearing, and distribution of market data, indexes and analytics.
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