Macquarie Group Ltd. Cuts Stock Holdings in CME Group Inc. $CME

Key Points

• Macquarie Group sharply cut its CME Group stake by 68.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 513,864 shares and leaving it with 240,877 shares worth about $65.8 million.
• CME Group reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $3.36 versus $3.11 expected and revenue of $1.88 billion versus $1.77 billion estimated, while revenue rose 14.5% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of about $305.71.

Macquarie Group Ltd. decreased its stake in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 68.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 240,877 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 513,864 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd. owned about 0.07% of CME Group worth $65,779,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CME. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its position in shares of CME Group by 64.9% during the fourth quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of CME Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of CME Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID lifted its holdings in CME Group by 191.9% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 108 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its holdings in CME Group by 1,250.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 108 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.75% of the company's stock.

CME Group Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of CME Group stock opened at $269.53 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.21. CME Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $244.56 and a 52-week high of $329.16. 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $284.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $288.07.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $3.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.11 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. CME Group had a net margin of 63.19% and a return on equity of 15.42%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.80 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that CME Group Inc. will post 12.28 EPS for the current year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 9th. CME Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 44.37%.

Insider Activity at CME Group

In other CME Group news, insider Hilda Harris Piell sold 5,753 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $304.63, for a total transaction of $1,752,536.39. Following the sale, the insider owned 27,702 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,438,860.26. The trade was a 17.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 35,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.51, for a total transaction of $10,447,850.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 55,630 shares in the company, valued at $16,606,111.30. The trade was a 38.62% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 44,044 shares of company stock worth $13,297,507. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CME has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on CME Group in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $305.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on CME Group from $266.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded CME Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. TD Cowen dropped their price target on CME Group from $340.00 to $323.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on CME Group from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $305.71.

CME Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: CME announced four new E-mini futures contracts tied to broad-market equity benchmarks, plus new Micro E-mini options on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100. These launches could attract more trading volume by giving investors additional, lower-cost ways to hedge and gain market exposure. CME Group to Expand Equity Index Suite with Launch of Four New E-mini Futures Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: The company also said it will expand 24/7 trading for WTI crude oil and gold, which could improve price discovery and make CME’s metals and energy products more attractive to global traders operating outside normal market hours. CME Group to Expand 24/7 Trading for WTI Crude Oil and Gold
• Positive Sentiment: CME launched Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures and is moving deeper into digital-asset derivatives, giving investors regulated exposure to major cryptocurrencies and potentially opening another growth avenue for the exchange. CME Group Launches Crypto Index Futures Tracking Bitcoin, Solana and XRP
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for CME, signaling stable earnings expectations rather than a major change in outlook. MarketBeat report on CME estimate update
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary around the CFTC’s crypto oversight has raised concerns about regulatory pressure and market criticism, which could create uncertainty for CME’s expanding crypto-related products. CFTC’s Lone Chair Selig Expands Grip Over Crypto and Prediction Markets

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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