CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) Hits New 52-Week High at $223.94

CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $223.94 and last traded at $223.57, with a volume of 345450 shares. The stock had previously closed at $220.65.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on CME Group from $187.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of CME Group in a research note on Thursday, September 26th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $221.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America cut CME Group from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $212.00 to $177.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on CME Group from $193.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of CME Group in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $212.54.

CME Group Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $210.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $207.42. The company has a market cap of $80.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a PEG ratio of 8.74 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.03. CME Group had a net margin of 56.98% and a return on equity of 12.82%. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.30 EPS. CME Group’s revenue was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that CME Group Inc. will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th were given a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 9th. CME Group’s payout ratio is 52.33%.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In related news, CFO Lynne Fitzpatrick sold 754 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Sunday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.99, for a total transaction of $163,610.46. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,877,504.39. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Bryan T. Durkin sold 7,593 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.59, for a total transaction of $1,629,381.87. Following the sale, the director now owns 55,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,932,706.13. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Lynne Fitzpatrick sold 754 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction on Sunday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.99, for a total value of $163,610.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,877,504.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CME Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in CME Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in CME Group in the second quarter valued at $36,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in CME Group in the first quarter valued at $41,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. raised its stake in CME Group by 66.1% in the second quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC lifted its holdings in CME Group by 515.2% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 203 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.75% of the company’s stock.

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.