CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase raised its price target on CME to $271 from $266 but maintained an underweight rating, implying roughly an 8.9% downside from the prior close.
• Analyst coverage is mixed but the consensus is a Moderate Buy with a mean price target of about $309.94 (two Strong Buy, eight Buy, six Hold, two Sell).
• CME shares traded around $297.50; the company beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.77 vs. $2.75) with revenue up 8.1%, and carries a market cap of about $106.7 billion and a P/E of 26.7.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $266.00 to $271.00 in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an "underweight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target points to a potential downside of 8.91% from the stock's previous close.

CME has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of CME Group from $344.00 to $343.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $305.00 price target for the company. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of CME Group from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of CME Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $310.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $309.94.

CME Group Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of CME Group stock opened at $297.50 on Thursday. CME Group has a 52-week low of $251.90 and a 52-week high of $329.16. The company has a 50 day moving average of $306.69 and a 200 day moving average of $285.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a market capitalization of $106.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.26.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.52 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that CME Group will post 10.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at CME Group

In other CME Group news, General Counsel Jonathan L. Marcus sold 3,291 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.37, for a total transaction of $1,097,120.67. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Bryan T. Durkin sold 4,200 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $1,300,530.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 43,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,317,117.55. The trade was a 8.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 8,539 shares of company stock worth $2,713,821 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CME Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CME. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at $1,523,241,000. Sanders Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,006,932,000. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $636,487,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CME Group by 746.4% in 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 during the period. Finally, Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at $217,656,000. 87.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approval to expand U.S. Treasury cross‑margining with DTCC will let end‑user clients of dual broker/dealers/FCMs net offsets across FICC and CME, starting April 30 — a structural benefit that can reduce customer margin requirements and make CME venues more attractive, potentially increasing volumes and fee capture. DTCC and CME Group Receive Regulatory Approvals to Launch Expanded U.S. Treasury Cross-Margining Arrangement for End-User Clients
• Positive Sentiment: ESMA recognition of CME Group Benchmark Administration as a third‑country benchmark administrator reinforces Term SOFR usage in Europe, supporting adoption of CME reference rates and related market share in rate products. ESMA Recognizes CME Group Benchmark Administration as a Third-Country Benchmark Administrator
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion: CME plans options on Eris SOFR swap futures and new mid‑curve options and quarterly dividend futures — these broaden the derivatives ecosystem and can drive incremental trading volumes and clearing revenue. CME Group To Launch Options On Eris SOFR Swap Futures CME Group to Expand Equity Index Dividend Suite with New Mid-Curve Options and Quarterly Futures
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $329 and kept an overweight rating — a notable sell‑side endorsement that can support sentiment and buying interest. Piper Sandler Adjusts Price Target on CME Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and bullish dividend writeups (Zacks, Seeking Alpha) highlight expectations for continued earnings strength and attractive dividend characteristics — supportive background but not new company actions. CME Group (CME) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy? As Chicago Thaws In Spring, CME Group Remains A Hot Dividend Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Misc. market items (FanDuel prediction market news not involving CME, general buy lists) are peripheral to CME’s fundamentals. FanDuel Registers New Interest In Prediction Market Contracts, Without CME Involved This Time
• Negative Sentiment: CFTC is probing suspicious oil‑futures trades executed on CME’s NYMEX (and ICE) ahead of key Iran‑related announcements; the probe raises regulatory and reputational risk and could prompt tighter controls or inquiries that affect volumes or compliance costs. CFTC probes oil futures trades tied to Trump's moves in Iran: Report CFTC launches probe into suspicious oil futures trading on CME, ICE - report
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn and Barclays lowered expectations for CME’s stock — downward revisions from sell‑side firms can pressure sentiment and short‑term flows. Rothschild & Co Redburn Has Lowered Expectations for CME Group Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for CME Group

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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