CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $215.90.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on CME shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of CME Group from $222.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $209.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $222.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $226.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $210.00 target price (down previously from $235.00) on shares of CME Group in a research note on Friday, April 5th.

CME Group Stock Performance

Shares of CME opened at $195.53 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $205.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $208.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a market capitalization of $70.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.24, a P/E/G ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 0.52. CME Group has a 52-week low of $179.44 and a 52-week high of $223.80.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.42 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that CME Group will post 9.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th were given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 7th. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.35%. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.33%.

Insider Activity at CME Group

In related news, Director Charles P. Carey sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.44, for a total value of $586,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 7,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,399,936.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other CME Group news, Director Daniel R. Glickman sold 650 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.44, for a total value of $130,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 14,008 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,821,771.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles P. Carey sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.44, for a total transaction of $586,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 7,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,399,936.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 54,290 shares of company stock worth $11,393,700 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CME Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CME. Gold Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in CME Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwest Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in CME Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in CME Group during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position 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 in the last quarter. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CME Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. 87.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CME Group

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.