MOKAN Wealth Management Inc. Increases Stock Position in CME Group Inc. $CME

Key Points

• MOKAN Wealth Management boosted its stake in CME by 138.8% in Q4 to 7,144 shares valued at $1.95M, and institutional investors now own about 87.75% of the stock.
• CME posted a slight beat on Q4 results (EPS $2.77 vs. $2.75; revenue $1.65B, up 8.1%), announced a quarterly dividend increase to $1.30 (annualized $5.20, 1.8% yield), and plans to launch options on Eris SOFR swap futures—moves that could support fee revenue growth.
• Insiders have been net sellers (8,539 shares worth $2.71M in the last 90 days, insiders own 0.30%), while analyst sentiment is mixed but averages a "Moderate Buy" with a mean target of $308.71.

MOKAN Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 138.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,144 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 4,152 shares during the period. MOKAN Wealth Management Inc.'s holdings in CME Group were worth $1,953,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CME. Caldwell Trust Co lifted its stake in CME Group by 116.3% during the third quarter. Caldwell Trust Co now owns 93 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group in the third quarter valued at $27,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in shares of CME Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Martin J. Gepsman sold 300 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.90, for a total value of $91,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,999 shares in the company, valued at $7,647,194.10. The trade was a 1.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Dennis Suskind sold 748 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $224,400.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,699 shares of the company's stock, valued at $809,700. This trade represents a 21.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 8,539 shares of company stock worth $2,713,821 in the last ninety days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CME Group Trading Down 1.2%

CME opened at $297.03 on Wednesday. CME Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $251.90 and a 12 month high of $329.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.62, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $306.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $285.11.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.75 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. CME Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 62.45%.CME Group's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.52 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that CME Group Inc. will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is a positive change from CME Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. CME Group's dividend payout ratio is 46.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on CME shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on CME Group from $295.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $305.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of CME Group from $356.00 to $349.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Argus reissued a "hold" rating on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of CME Group from $328.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $308.71.

Key Stories Impacting CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/Investor bullish thesis — Seeking Alpha publishes a bullish dividend-focused piece reiterating a strong-buy view based on CME’s consistent dividend growth, high margins, low leverage and macro tailwinds; the article highlights sustainable payout ratios and long-term upside for income-focused investors. As Chicago Thaws In Spring, CME Group Remains A Hot Dividend Idea
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion — CME announced it will launch options on Eris SOFR Swap futures on June 16 (pending review), which widens interest-rate hedging tools for clients and could boost trading volumes and fee revenue in rates/OTC products over time. New derivative listings typically support structural revenue growth. CME Group to Launch Eris SOFR Swap Options on June 16
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increase — One outlet reports an increased price target to $362, a bullish signal from at least one analyst that suggests upside relative to current levels and supports a constructive medium-term view. This can counterbalance some downgrades and support investor confidence. CME Group NASDAQ: CME Price Target Raised to $362.00
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst trims — Barclays lowered its price target slightly to $343 and kept an "equal weight" rating; the modest cut cools near-term enthusiasm even though the target still implies upside. This likely contributed to downward pressure on the stock. Barclays price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Another price-target cut — Rothschild & Co Redburn trimmed its target from $347 to $340 and kept a "neutral" stance, reinforcing mixed analyst sentiment and limiting near-term upward momentum. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts CME Group price target

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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