Rep. Julie Johnson Sells Off Shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

Representative Julie Johnson (D-Texas) recently sold shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME). In a filing disclosed on January 15th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in CME Group stock on December 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “CHASE BROKERAGE ACCOUNT (3935)” account.

Representative Julie Johnson also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Dover (NYSE:DOV) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) on 12/18/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) on 12/18/2025.

CME Group Stock Performance

CME Group stock opened at $279.44 on Friday. CME Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $230.19 and a fifty-two week high of $290.79. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $274.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market cap of $100.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.08, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.27.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.56 billion. CME Group had a return on equity of 14.61% and a net margin of 58.84%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.68 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that CME Group Inc. will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.45%.

Institutional Trading of CME Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caldwell Trust Co boosted 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in CME Group by 84.3% during the 2nd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA purchased a new stake in shares of CME Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of CME Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CME Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 87.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of CME Group from $296.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Cowen raised shares of CME Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Argus cut their price objective on shares of CME Group from $308.00 to $295.00 in a report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen raised shares of CME Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $290.00 to $305.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on CME Group from $265.00 to $264.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $291.82.

Insider Activity at CME Group

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

Trending Headlines about CME Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: CME plans to add Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM) futures — standard and micro contracts — boosting crypto product breadth and capital‑efficient tools for clients; listing targeted for Feb. 9 pending review, which could lift futures trading volumes and fee revenue. CME Group Expands Crypto Futures With Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen upgraded CME to “Buy”, signaling constructive analyst sentiment that supports upside and likely helped investor confidence. TD Cowen Upgrades CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) to “Buy”
• Positive Sentiment: CME is introducing a new, smaller silver futures contract to capture surging retail interest in silver — a product move that can broaden participation and boost notional volumes in metals. Silver Gets a Major Upgrade: CME to Launch New Futures as Retail Demand Hits Record Levels
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed its price target slightly (from $304 to $302) but kept a “Buy” rating — modestly lowering upside but still supportive. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on CME Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target by $1 to $319 while retaining an “Overweight” rating — a slight tweak that keeps a bullish stance but marginally lowers modeled upside. Morgan Stanley Lowers CME Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and coverage notes (e.g., “Here’s What to Expect From CME Group’s Next Earnings Report”) keep focus on volumes/fee trends and macro volatility — useful context but not immediate catalysts. Here’s What to Expect From CME Group’s Next Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs nudged its target slightly lower (from $265 to $264) and maintains a “Sell” rating — a visible negative outlier that can weigh on sentiment among more cautious investors. Goldman Sachs Adjusts CME Group Price Target

About Representative Johnson

Julie Johnson (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2025. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Johnson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Julie Johnson earned a B.A. in history and government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991. Johnson’s career experience includes working as an attorney.

About CME Group

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.