BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd Acquires New Holdings in CME Group Inc. $CME

BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 10,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,208,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CME Group by 2,075.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Elkhorn Partners Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of CME Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CME Group during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Bayban bought a new stake in CME Group in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William Shepard acquired 325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $230.57 per share, with a total value of $74,935.25. Following the acquisition, the director owned 260,442 shares in the company, valued at $60,050,111.94. This represents a 0.12% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on CME shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CME Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 29th. UBS Group cut their price target on CME Group from $310.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Erste Group Bank lowered CME Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $292.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $289.75.

Key CME Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder distribution: CME is scheduled to distribute approximately $467 million in dividends on September 25, reinforcing its appeal to income-oriented investors and highlighting the exchange operator’s strong cash-generation profile. CME Group’s $467 Million Dividend: What Shareholders Collect Sept. 25
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion: CME’s new single-stock futures offer investors leveraged and capital-efficient exposure to individual equities. The product broadens CME’s equity derivatives lineup and could create additional trading volume and fee revenue over time. CME’s New Single Stock Futures: What Are The Advantages Vs. Stocks?
• Positive Sentiment: European market entry: CME plans to enter the European dairy market through a deal involving EEX, expanding its addressable market and potentially improving its international commodities presence. CME Group to enter European dairy market through EEX deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership succession: CME named insider Jack Tobin as CFO, succeeding Lynne Fitzpatrick, who is expected to become CEO in March 2027. The planned internal transition may provide continuity, although investors could monitor execution during the leadership change. CME Group names Jack Tobin as CFO
• Neutral Sentiment: Interest-rate backdrop: Reports that Federal Reserve Chair Warsh favors rate hikes, while the Treasury considers buying longer-maturity debt, point to continued uncertainty over rates, inflation and bond-market conditions. These factors can affect CME’s interest-rate and fixed-income trading volumes. Fed and Treasury at Odds
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory litigation: The Hyperliquid Policy Center filed an amicus brief urging dismissal of CME’s lawsuit against the CFTC. The development adds uncertainty to CME’s regulatory position and could weigh on sentiment surrounding its digital-asset and derivatives initiatives. Hyperliquid Policy Center Files Amicus Brief Urging Dismissal of CME’s Suit Against CFTC

CME Group Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:CME opened at $274.70 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $262.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $277.67. CME Group Inc. has a one year low of $218.31 and a one year high of $329.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.78 billion, a PE ratio of 23.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.24.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $2.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.91 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.68 billion. CME Group had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 63.30%.CME Group’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.96 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that CME Group Inc. will post 12.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 9th. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.11%.

About CME Group

CME Group Inc operates global derivatives marketplaces that provide trading, clearing and settlement services for a broad range of financial and commodity products. Its exchange platforms enable participants to manage risk, discover prices and gain exposure to asset classes including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, metals, agricultural commodities and digital assets.

The company’s principal marketplaces include CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX. Products are offered through futures and options contracts, with electronic trading available through CME Globex as well as exchange-based and privately negotiated transactions.