Keystone Financial Planning Inc. Has $9.55 Million Holdings in CME Group Inc. $CME

Keystone Financial Planning Inc. raised its holdings in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) by 35.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,265 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,228 shares during the period. CME Group comprises 2.5% of Keystone Financial Planning Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Keystone Financial Planning Inc.’s holdings in CME Group were worth $9,554,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. bought a new position in CME Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $612,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in CME Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $53,671,000. FLC Capital Advisors acquired a new position in CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,122,000. Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in CME Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $13,818,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in CME Group by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 352,922 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $96,376,000 after acquiring an additional 22,692 shares during the period. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key CME Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder distribution: CME is scheduled to distribute approximately $467 million in dividends on September 25, reinforcing its appeal to income-oriented investors and highlighting the exchange operator’s strong cash-generation profile. CME Group’s $467 Million Dividend: What Shareholders Collect Sept. 25
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion: CME’s new single-stock futures offer investors leveraged and capital-efficient exposure to individual equities. The product broadens CME’s equity derivatives lineup and could create additional trading volume and fee revenue over time. CME’s New Single Stock Futures: What Are The Advantages Vs. Stocks?
• Positive Sentiment: European market entry: CME plans to enter the European dairy market through a deal involving EEX, expanding its addressable market and potentially improving its international commodities presence. CME Group to enter European dairy market through EEX deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership succession: CME named insider Jack Tobin as CFO, succeeding Lynne Fitzpatrick, who is expected to become CEO in March 2027. The planned internal transition may provide continuity, although investors could monitor execution during the leadership change. CME Group names Jack Tobin as CFO
• Neutral Sentiment: Interest-rate backdrop: Reports that Federal Reserve Chair Warsh favors rate hikes, while the Treasury considers buying longer-maturity debt, point to continued uncertainty over rates, inflation and bond-market conditions. These factors can affect CME’s interest-rate and fixed-income trading volumes. Fed and Treasury at Odds
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory litigation: The Hyperliquid Policy Center filed an amicus brief urging dismissal of CME’s lawsuit against the CFTC. The development adds uncertainty to CME’s regulatory position and could weigh on sentiment surrounding its digital-asset and derivatives initiatives. Hyperliquid Policy Center Files Amicus Brief Urging Dismissal of CME’s Suit Against CFTC

Insider Buying and Selling at CME Group

In other CME Group news, Director William Shepard acquired 325 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $230.57 per share, with a total value of $74,935.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 260,442 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,050,111.94. The trade was a 0.12% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CME shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $292.00 price target on shares of CME Group in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CME Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered CME Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Bank of America lifted their target price on CME Group from $226.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on CME Group from $310.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $289.75.

CME Group Trading Down 1.3%

NASDAQ:CME opened at $274.70 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $262.03 and its 200-day moving average is $277.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. CME Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $218.31 and a 52 week high of $329.16. The firm has a market cap of $98.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.24.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $2.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.91 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.68 billion. CME Group had a net margin of 63.30% and a return on equity of 15.60%. CME Group’s quarterly revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.96 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that CME Group Inc. will post 12.27 earnings per share for the current year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 9th. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.11%.

About CME Group

CME Group Inc operates global derivatives marketplaces that provide trading, clearing and settlement services for a broad range of financial and commodity products. Its exchange platforms enable participants to manage risk, discover prices and gain exposure to asset classes including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, metals, agricultural commodities and digital assets.

The company’s principal marketplaces include CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX. Products are offered through futures and options contracts, with electronic trading available through CME Globex as well as exchange-based and privately negotiated transactions.