CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eighteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $292.1765.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CME shares. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on CME Group from $282.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on CME Group from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of CME Group from $304.00 to $302.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of CME Group from $201.00 to $209.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of CME Group in a report on Monday, December 29th.

CME Group Price Performance

Shares of CME stock opened at $286.05 on Friday. CME Group has a 12-month low of $232.32 and a 12-month high of $290.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $103.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $274.64 and a 200-day moving average of $272.15.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.45%.

CME Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CME Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Metals trading hit a single-day record (3.34M contracts on Jan. 26), boosting fee-related trading revenue and signaling elevated client hedging activity amid precious-metals volatility. This supports near-term revenue upside. CME Group Reaches New Record in Metals Futures and Options
• Positive Sentiment: CME expanded crypto derivatives by adding options on Bitcoin Friday futures, broadening product mix and potential fee pools as institutional crypto activity grows. This can support future revenue diversification. CME Group Expands Crypto Offerings With Options On Bitcoin Friday Futures
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect CME to report earnings growth next week, with commentary that the company has the setup for a likely earnings beat—fuel for short-term upside if results and guidance beat consensus. CME Group (CME) Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Reported short-interest fell ~15.6% to ~4.21M shares as of Jan. 15 (about 1.2% of float), lowering immediate downside pressure from short squeezes and signalling reduced bearish positioning. (Data entry summary)
• Neutral Sentiment: CME signed a multiyear jersey-patch sponsorship with the Chicago White Sox — a brand/marketing move that raises local visibility but is unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. CME Group Named as First-Ever Chicago White Sox Jersey Patch Sponsor
• Neutral Sentiment: CME is scheduled to report earnings this coming Wednesday — an event investors should watch closely for volume-driven revenue, guidance and margin commentary. CME Group (CME) to Release Earnings on Wednesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Some short-interest data entries in the feed show inconsistencies (0 shares / NaN changes) — treat those as reporting errors rather than market signals until confirmed by official filings. (Data entry summary)

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Harold Eugene Jr. Ford sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.53, for a total transaction of $263,530.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,091 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $287,511.23. This represents a 47.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director William R. Shepard bought 251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $278.37 per share, for a total transaction of $69,870.87. Following the transaction, the director owned 258,710 shares in the company, valued at $72,017,102.70. The trade was a 0.10% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caldwell Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of CME Group by 116.3% during the 3rd quarter. Caldwell Trust Co now owns 93 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in CME Group by 84.3% during the second quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its position in CME Group by 64.9% during the fourth quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new position in CME Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.75% of the company’s stock.

About CME Group

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.