CME Group (CME) Expected to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

Key Points

• CME Group will report Q1 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 22, with analysts expecting about $3.11 EPS and $1.7687 billion in revenue; a conference call is scheduled for 8:30 AM ET.
• The company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 (annualized $5.20, ~1.8% yield) and last quarter beat estimates with $2.77 EPS and revenue up 8.1% year-over-year, while analysts project roughly $10 EPS for the current fiscal year and $11 next year.
• CME is expanding products by planning options on Eris SOFR swap futures (launch pending June 16) that could boost rates trading volumes, while analyst sentiment is mixed-to-positive—Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $362 and the consensus target is about $308.71.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) is expected to issue its Q1 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 22nd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $3.11 per share and revenue of $1.7687 billion for the quarter. Parties can find conference call details on the company's upcoming Q1 2026 earning report page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.75 by $0.02. CME Group had a net margin of 62.45% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.52 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect CME Group to post $10 EPS for the current fiscal year and $11 EPS for the next fiscal year.

CME Group Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ CME opened at $297.03 on Wednesday. CME Group has a one year low of $251.90 and a one year high of $329.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $306.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $285.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.62, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.26.

CME Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. This is an increase from CME Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. CME Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.59%.

Key Headlines Impacting CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/Investor bullish thesis — Seeking Alpha publishes a bullish dividend-focused piece reiterating a strong-buy view based on CME’s consistent dividend growth, high margins, low leverage and macro tailwinds; the article highlights sustainable payout ratios and long-term upside for income-focused investors. As Chicago Thaws In Spring, CME Group Remains A Hot Dividend Idea
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion — CME announced it will launch options on Eris SOFR Swap futures on June 16 (pending review), which widens interest-rate hedging tools for clients and could boost trading volumes and fee revenue in rates/OTC products over time. New derivative listings typically support structural revenue growth. CME Group to Launch Eris SOFR Swap Options on June 16
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increase — One outlet reports an increased price target to $362, a bullish signal from at least one analyst that suggests upside relative to current levels and supports a constructive medium-term view. This can counterbalance some downgrades and support investor confidence. CME Group NASDAQ: CME Price Target Raised to $362.00
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst trims — Barclays lowered its price target slightly to $343 and kept an "equal weight" rating; the modest cut cools near-term enthusiasm even though the target still implies upside. This likely contributed to downward pressure on the stock. Barclays price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Another price-target cut — Rothschild & Co Redburn trimmed its target from $347 to $340 and kept a "neutral" stance, reinforcing mixed analyst sentiment and limiting near-term upward momentum. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts CME Group price target

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CME has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on shares of CME Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $305.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on CME Group from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $310.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Erste Group Bank raised CME Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on CME Group from $340.00 to $362.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CME Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $308.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Martin J. Gepsman sold 300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 24,999 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,647,194.10. This trade represents a 1.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, General Counsel Jonathan L. Marcus sold 3,291 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.37, for a total value of $1,097,120.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 7,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,397,597.04. This trade represents a 31.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 8,539 shares of company stock worth $2,713,821. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CME Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in CME Group by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 4,319,763 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,179,858,000 after purchasing an additional 222,890 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd raised its holdings in CME Group by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 3,574,469 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $976,116,000 after purchasing an additional 170,046 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in CME Group by 23.0% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,830,323 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $764,725,000 after purchasing an additional 528,358 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in CME Group by 1.7% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,431,787 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $657,045,000 after purchasing an additional 39,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in CME Group by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,148,161 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $586,620,000 after purchasing an additional 26,845 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.

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