Sapient Capital LLC Invests $2.07 Million in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 9,580 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,068,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in CME Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of CME Group by 966.7% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 160 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in CME Group in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Atticus Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in CME Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in CME Group by 1,233.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 200 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.75% of the company's stock.

CME Group Stock Up 0.1 %

CME traded up $0.17 on Friday, hitting $207.65. The company had a trading volume of 2,065,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,765,130. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.18 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $214.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $211.56. CME Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $175.73 and a 12-month high of $223.80.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.06. CME Group had a net margin of 56.84% and a return on equity of 12.45%. The firm had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.42 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that CME Group Inc. will post 9.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This is a positive change from CME Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. CME Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 52.33%.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In other news, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.91, for a total transaction of $8,436,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 67,455 shares in the company, valued at $14,226,934.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on CME. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $210.00 target price (down from $235.00) on shares of CME Group in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on CME Group from $222.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on CME Group from $198.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Argus increased their price target on CME Group from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on CME Group from $209.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $217.80.

CME Group Company Profile

CME Group Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates contract markets for the trading of futures and options on futures contracts worldwide. It offers futures and options products based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, agricultural commodities, energy, and metals, as well as fixed income and foreign currency trading services.