CME Group Inc. $CME Shares Sold by Vestor Capital LLC

Key Points

• Vestor Capital reduced its CME Group stake by 15.4% in the first quarter, selling 10,755 shares and retaining 59,212 shares worth approximately $17.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.75% of CME’s stock.
• CME Group reported quarterly earnings of $2.99 per share on $1.71 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations of $2.91 EPS and $1.68 billion in revenue. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.30, equivalent to a 1.9% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with CME carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $291.81. Recent price targets range from $230 to $295, while insiders own just 0.30% of the company.

Vestor Capital LLC reduced its stake in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 15.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 59,212 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 10,755 shares during the quarter. CME Group comprises about 1.3% of Vestor Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Vestor Capital LLC's holdings in CME Group were worth $17,488,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of CME. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of CME Group by 11.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 10,027 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,660,000 after buying an additional 1,037 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of CME Group by 103.1% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,692 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,018,000 after buying an additional 121,707 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in shares of CME Group by 1,325.2% in the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 23,572 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,497,000 after acquiring an additional 21,918 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $992,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in CME Group by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 287,876 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $79,344,000 after acquiring an additional 7,397 shares during the last quarter. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In other news, insider Hilda Harris Piell sold 5,753 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $304.63, for a total transaction of $1,752,536.39. Following the transaction, the insider owned 27,702 shares in the company, valued at $8,438,860.26. This trade represents a 17.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William R. Shepard purchased 325 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $230.57 per share, with a total value of $74,935.25. Following the acquisition, the director owned 260,442 shares in the company, valued at $60,050,111.94. This represents a 0.12% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded retail access to futures: TradeStation is expanding its futures offering to include CME Group’s spot-quoted futures, potentially increasing participation, liquidity and transaction volume across CME’s markets. TradeStation Expands Futures Offering with CME Group Spot-Quoted Futures
• Positive Sentiment: Entry into sports-related derivatives: CME Group plans to launch cash-settled futures tied to sports performance indexes through a partnership with FutureSports. The initiative targets the roughly $650 billion global sports industry and could create a new source of trading and clearing revenue if it receives regulatory approval and attracts hedging demand. CME Group Targets $650 Billion Sports Industry With First Sports Index Futures
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings beat expectations: CME’s latest quarterly results exceeded consensus estimates, with earnings per share of $2.99 versus $2.91 expected and revenue of $1.71 billion versus $1.68 billion expected. Revenue increased year over year, reinforcing the company’s strong operating performance and high margins.
• Neutral Sentiment: Federal Reserve holds rates steady: The Fed kept its benchmark rate at 3.50%–3.75%, in line with expectations. The decision does not materially change CME’s outlook, though future rate uncertainty can support activity in interest-rate and other derivatives markets. Fed Holds Rates Between 3.50% and 3.75%
• Negative Sentiment: Minor earnings-estimate reduction: Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast to $12.91 from $12.94 and maintained a “Hold” rating. The small revision signals limited near-term upside from that analyst, though the estimate remains above the broader current-year consensus of $12.27.

CME Group Stock Up 0.7%

CME stock opened at $267.36 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $96.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm's fifty day moving average is $251.35 and its 200 day moving average is $281.15. CME Group Inc. has a one year low of $218.31 and a one year high of $329.16.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that CME Group Inc. will post 12.27 EPS for the current year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 9th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 9th. CME Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on CME. Bank of America lifted their price target on CME Group from $226.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on CME Group from $249.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered CME Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of CME Group from $329.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of CME Group from $310.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CME Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $291.81.

CME Group 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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