CME Group Inc. $CME Shares Newly Purchased by Goelzer Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Goelzer Investment Management purchased 111,443 CME Group shares worth approximately $29.2 million, making CME about 1.2% of its portfolio. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.75% of the stock.
• CME Group reported quarterly earnings of $2.99 per share, exceeding analyst expectations of $2.91, while revenue reached $1.71 billion, up 0.8% year over year. The company also maintains a $1.30 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 1.8% yield.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with CME carrying an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $292.94. Shares recently opened at $293.87, near the consensus target.

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 111,443 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $29,196,000. CME Group accounts for about 1.2% of Goelzer Investment Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of CME Group during the second quarter worth about $612,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in shares of CME Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $53,671,000. Focus Financial Network Inc. acquired a new position in CME Group during the third quarter worth $1,513,000. Haverford Trust Co acquired a new stake in CME Group in the second quarter valued at $13,818,000. Finally, Bowie Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $22,991,000. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CME Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CME opened at $293.87 on Friday. 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 $105.67 billion, a PE ratio of 24.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.24. The firm's fifty day moving average is $274.12 and its 200-day moving average is $270.77.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $2.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.91 by $0.08. CME Group had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 63.30%. The company had revenue of $1.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that CME Group Inc. will post 12.29 earnings per share for the current year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 9th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 9th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. CME Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.11%.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In related news, Director William Shepard bought 293 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $268.76 per share, for a total transaction of $78,746.68. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 263,289 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $70,761,551.64. The trade was a 0.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Cook sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.11, for a total value of $140,055.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 17,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,018,450.76. The trade was a 2.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on CME. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of CME Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $286.00 to $270.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Bank of America boosted their price target on CME Group from $226.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on CME Group from $249.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of CME Group from $330.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $292.94.

CME Group Company Profile

CME Group Inc operates global derivatives marketplaces that enable customers to manage risk and trade futures and options contracts. Its exchanges offer products linked to interest rates, equity indexes, foreign currencies, agricultural commodities, energy, metals and other asset classes.

The company also provides central counterparty clearing, settlement and related risk-management services for transactions conducted on its markets. In addition, CME Group offers market data, benchmark products and technology services that support trading, analysis and connectivity for financial institutions, businesses, professional traders and other market participants.

CME Group's history includes the Chicago Board of Trade, founded in 1848, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, established in 1898.

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