CME Group Inc. $CME Stock Sold by Conning Inc.

Key Points

• Conning Inc. reduced its CME Group stake by 5.8% in the third quarter, selling 8,465 shares and retaining 138,449 shares worth approximately $36.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.75% of CME’s outstanding stock.
• CME Group reported quarterly earnings of $3.02 per share, surpassing the $2.99 analyst estimate, while revenue rose 10.6% year over year to $1.74 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share, or $5.20 annualized.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: CME has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $313.29, while the stock recently traded at $294.04. Several analysts raised their targets, although insiders sold 20,900 shares worth about $5.9 million over the prior 90 days.

Conning Inc. decreased its stake in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 138,449 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 8,465 shares during the period. Conning Inc.'s holdings in CME Group were worth $36,271,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CME. Brookmont Capital Management boosted its holdings in CME Group by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Brookmont Capital Management now owns 5,661 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,483,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CME Group by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 1,297 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $340,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY grew its stake in shares of CME Group by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 1,666 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $492,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of CME Group by 3.8% in the first quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,073 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $317,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of CME Group by 0.8% in the third quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 5,038 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,320,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.75% of the company's stock.

CME Group Stock Up 0.2%

CME stock opened at $294.04 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $279.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $279.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. CME Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $218.31 and a 1-year high of $329.16. The stock has a market cap of $105.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.24.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The financial services provider reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.03. CME Group had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 63.33%. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.68 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that CME Group Inc. will post 12.34 EPS for the current year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 9th. CME Group's payout ratio is presently 42.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of CME Group from $270.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of CME Group from $281.00 to $321.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of CME Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $286.00 to $270.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of CME Group from $292.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of CME Group from $226.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $313.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Martin Gepsman sold 400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.50, for a total value of $121,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,636,310. The trade was a 1.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Cook sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.11, for a total transaction of $140,055.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,018,450.76. The trade was a 2.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 20,900 shares of company stock worth $5,871,155 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record futures volume is improving sentiment toward CME Group. The company recently reported record third-quarter revenue of approximately $1.74 billion and record average daily volume of 29.4 million contracts, while October activity was tracking at the strongest October level on record. The combination of elevated market volatility and strong trading activity makes CME’s earnings outlook more compelling. CME Group Looks Better Valued As Record Real Futures Volume Lifts Sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: CME Group’s Brazilian real futures set a record for daily volume following Brazil’s election, highlighting demand for the company’s currency products during periods of political and foreign-exchange volatility. CME Group Brazilian Real Futures Set New Daily Volume Record Following Election
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded CME to a Rank #2, or “Buy,” citing improving earnings prospects. Analysts have also raised several price targets, with the broader analyst consensus remaining above the recent trading level. CME Upgraded to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: The Federal Reserve’s rate decision is being closely monitored, with markets expecting rates to remain unchanged. Stable rates may reduce uncertainty, but the impact on CME depends on how interest-rate and currency trading volumes respond. US Fed Opens Two-Day Meeting
• Negative Sentiment: After a strong run-up, investors may be taking profits or reassessing CME’s valuation despite its solid earnings beat and record volumes. This could limit near-term upside if results do not continue to exceed elevated expectations. CME Group Slides as Investors Digest Recent Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Sunil Cutinho sold 5,000 CME shares for approximately $1.49 million, reducing his direct stake by nearly 20%. The sale is a modest sentiment negative, though it does not by itself signal deteriorating fundamentals. CME Group Insider Sale

About CME Group

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.