CME Group Inc. $CME Shares Sold by Carnegie Investment Counsel

Key Points

• Carnegie Investment Counsel reduced its CME Group position by 4.6%, selling 7,393 shares and retaining 152,288 shares valued at approximately $37.9 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high at 87.75%, though other investors made mixed adjustments, including increased stakes by MBM Wealth Consultants and Net Worth Advisory Group.
• CME reported quarterly results above expectations and pays a $1.30 quarterly dividend; analysts’ consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average price target of $292.94.

Carnegie Investment Counsel lessened its position in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 152,288 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 7,393 shares during the quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel's holdings in CME Group were worth $37,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its stake in CME Group by 3.5% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 3,736 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $979,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Integrated Advisors Network LLC bought a new position in shares of CME Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $207,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of CME Group by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 41,415 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,988,000 after buying an additional 689 shares during the period. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC boosted its stake in CME Group by 25.1% in the 3rd quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 2,339 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $613,000 after buying an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group boosted its stake in CME Group by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 3,466 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $919,000 after buying an additional 793 shares in the last quarter. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CME Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect third-quarter revenue of approximately $1.71 billion, up 11.4% year over year, with EPS forecasts near $2.98. International trading volume reportedly rose 22%, and several analysts have raised their price targets ahead of the report. CME earnings preview
• Positive Sentiment: CME launched Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures, including standard and micro contracts, expanding its regulated cryptocurrency derivatives offering and potentially creating additional trading and clearing revenue. CME Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures
• Positive Sentiment: The planned launch of cash-settled tungsten futures in the first half of 2027 gives CME another avenue for growth in metals and critical-minerals trading, where volumes have been strong. The product remains subject to regulatory approval. CME tungsten futures
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are examining whether CME’s market-data operations can make earnings more stable and less reliant on temporary surges in trading activity, supporting the company’s recurring-revenue profile. CME market-data analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: The CFTC asked a federal court to dismiss CME’s lawsuit concerning cryptocurrency perpetual futures. The agency’s reliance on CME data may support the exchange’s market expertise, but the legal dispute and regulatory uncertainty remain unresolved. CFTC CME perpetual-futures lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: CME disclosed $460,000 in third-quarter lobbying focused on derivatives regulation, clearinghouses, Treasury futures, digital-asset legislation and tax policy. Institutional ownership changes were mixed, while the median recent analyst price target was $305. CME lobbying and ownership update
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity was weighted toward selling, including multiple sales by Chairman and CEO Terrence Duffy. Falling lumber futures, driven by higher interest rates and seasonal weakness, also point to softer conditions in one CME-traded market, although the direct effect on company earnings is limited. Lumber futures outlook

CME Group Price Performance

Shares of CME stock opened at $295.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $106.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.05, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.24. CME Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $218.31 and a 12 month high of $329.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $275.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $270.55.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. CME Group had a net margin of 63.30% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business had revenue of $1.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. CME Group's revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that CME Group Inc. will post 12.30 EPS for the current year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on CME Group from $330.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on CME Group from $329.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $301.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of CME Group from $249.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of CME Group from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $292.94.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In other news, Director William R. Shepard purchased 293 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $268.76 per share, with a total value of $78,746.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 263,289 shares in the company, valued at $70,761,551.64. This trade represents a 0.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 15,000 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.44, for a total transaction of $4,116,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,150,497.20. This represents a 26.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

CME Group Profile

CME Group Inc operates global derivatives marketplaces that provide trading, clearing and settlement services for futures and options contracts. Its products cover major asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign currencies, agricultural commodities, energy and metals. The company also provides market data, benchmark information and related services used by financial institutions, corporations, producers, investors and other market participants.

CME Group's exchange portfolio includes CME, the Chicago Board of Trade, the New York Mercantile Exchange and COMEX.

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