CME Group Inc. $CME Shares Sold by Troy Asset Management Ltd

Troy Asset Management Ltd lowered its stake in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 330,049 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 12,833 shares during the period. CME Group accounts for approximately 2.3% of Troy Asset Management Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Troy Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in CME Group were worth $89,176,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Caldwell Trust Co raised its position in shares of 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 during the period. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA purchased a new position in CME Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in CME Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in CME Group during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new position in shares of CME Group in the third quarter worth about $30,000. 87.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

CME Group Trading Up 0.5%

NASDAQ CME opened at $303.07 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. CME Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $244.43 and a 1-year high of $309.35. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $279.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $274.00. The company has a market capitalization of $109.29 billion, a PE ratio of 27.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.27.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.75 by $0.02. CME Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 62.45%.The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.52 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CME Group Inc. will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This is a boost from CME Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. CME Group’s payout ratio is 44.80%.

Key CME Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CME raised shareholder payouts — the board declared a Q1 quarterly dividend of $1.30 (up from $1.25) and an annual variable dividend of $6.15 based on 2025 results (total ≈ $2.2B), both payable March 26; that boosts cash return to investors. CME Group Declares Annual Variable Dividend and Q1 2026 Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target lift — Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its CME price target to $333 from $300 (still a “neutral” rating), implying roughly 9.7% upside versus recent levels, which can support buying interest. Rothschild & Co Redburn Adjusts Price Target on CME Group to $333 From $300, Maintains Neutral Rating
• Positive Sentiment: New product rollout and execution — CME reported first trades in new Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar crypto futures and is actively exploring a rare-earths futures contract; these product additions expand fee pools and diversify revenue. CME Group Announces First Trades for New Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar Cryptocurrency Futures CME Weighs Launching First-Ever Rare Earth Futures Contract / Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Asia expansion — reports say CME plans to list Taiwan and Hong Kong warehouses for aluminium futures in Asia, a move that could deepen regional market presence and increase volumes. Exclusive: CME to list Taiwan, Hong Kong warehouses in Asia aluminium push, sources say
• Neutral Sentiment: CFTC advisory involvement — the CFTC formed an Innovation Advisory Committee that includes a CME executive; this provides regulatory engagement but unclear near-term financial impact. CFTC Forms Innovation Advisory Committee With 35 Crypto and Finance Industry Leaders
• Neutral Sentiment: Board slate announced — CME named director nominees for the annual meeting; routine governance news that is unlikely to move the stock materially. CME Group Inc. Names Slate of Director Nominees
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/earnings commentary — recent analyst-question coverage from the Q4 call provides context for growth drivers but contains no new guidance. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions From CME Group’s Q4 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Short-interest reporting is inconsistent — filings flagged a “significant increase” in February short interest but published data show zeros/NaN, creating ambiguity; if short interest is actually rising, that could add downward pressure.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CME. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of CME Group from $201.00 to $209.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $304.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on CME Group from $312.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on CME Group from $296.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on CME Group from $304.00 to $302.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $299.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at CME Group

In other CME Group news, Director William R. Shepard purchased 251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $278.37 per share, for a total transaction of $69,870.87. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 258,710 shares in the company, valued at $72,017,102.70. This trade represents a 0.10% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.55, for a total transaction of $6,738,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,804 shares in the company, valued at $17,737,468.20. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.