Peterson Wealth Services Boosts Stock Position in CME Group Inc. $CME

Key Points

• Peterson Wealth Services increased its CME Group stake by 382.4% in the fourth quarter, ending with 9,668 shares valued at about $2.64 million. Overall, institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 87.75% of the stock.
• CME Group reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.36 beating estimates and revenue of $1.88 billion also topping expectations. Revenue rose 14.5% year over year, and the company also announced a $1.30 quarterly dividend, equal to a 2.0% yield.
• Analysts are mixed but still lean constructive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $305.71. Recent news also highlights new product launches, including crypto index futures, additional E-mini contracts, and expanded 24/7 trading for some commodities.

Peterson Wealth Services lifted its position in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) by 382.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,668 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 7,664 shares during the quarter. Peterson Wealth Services' holdings in CME Group were worth $2,640,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Asset Dedication LLC lifted its stake in shares of CME Group by 64.9% in the 4th quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its stake in shares of CME Group by 1,250.0% in the 4th quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 108 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID lifted its stake in shares of CME Group by 191.9% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 108 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CME Group Stock Down 0.6%

CME stock opened at $262.18 on Friday. CME Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $244.56 and a fifty-two week high of $329.16. The business's 50 day moving average price is $285.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $288.20. 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 company has a market capitalization of $95.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.21.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last posted 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. CME Group had a return on equity of 15.42% and a net margin of 63.19%.The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that CME Group Inc. will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The business 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 $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 9th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. CME Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 44.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on CME Group from $342.00 to $322.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised CME Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $316.00 to $323.00 in a research note on Thursday. Erste Group Bank lowered CME Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on CME Group from $275.00 to $267.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on CME Group from $362.00 to $353.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $305.71.

Key Headlines Impacting CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: CME Group launched Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures, giving investors regulated exposure to a basket of major digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar. This could attract fresh institutional trading and hedging activity. CME Group Launches Crypto Index Futures Tracking Bitcoin, Solana and XRP
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced four new E-mini futures contracts tied to broad U.S. equity benchmarks, expanding its equity index franchise and potentially increasing trading volumes. CME Group to Expand Equity Index Suite with Launch of Four New E-mini Futures Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: CME also unveiled financially settled Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 options, which should broaden access for smaller traders and add another potential source of contract activity. CME Group to Launch New Financially-Settled Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 Options
• Positive Sentiment: CME said it will expand 24/7 trading for smaller WTI crude oil and gold contracts, a move that could improve market access and price discovery while boosting engagement in its commodities products. CME Group to Expand 24/7 Trading for WTI Crude Oil and Gold
• Positive Sentiment: CME entered an exclusive multi-year licensing deal with Morningstar to launch derivatives based on key Morningstar equity indexes, opening a new product line tied to more than $3 trillion in linked assets. CME Group and Morningstar Announce Exclusive Index Derivatives Licensing Agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group Bank slightly raised FY2026 earnings estimates for CME, but kept a Hold rating. That signals modestly improved expectations, though not a strong new bullish call. Analyst estimate update for CME Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders maintained CME’s Class B governance structure, which removes uncertainty around a possible change but is unlikely to be a major near-term operating catalyst. CME Group Shareholders Maintain Class B Governance Structure
• Neutral Sentiment: Cardano futures on CME are nearing the six-month threshold that could help an ETF application qualify, but the potential benefit is indirect and still months away. SEC Clock Ticks as Cardano Futures Edge Toward ETF Qualification

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Jonathan L. Marcus sold 3,291 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.37, for a total value of $1,097,120.67. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 7,192 shares in the company, valued at $2,397,597.04. This represents a 31.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 35,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.51, for a total value of $10,447,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 55,630 shares in the company, valued at $16,606,111.30. The trade was a 38.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 44,044 shares of company stock worth $13,297,507 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

About CME Group

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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