CME Group Inc. $CME Shares Sold by Windward Capital Management Co. CA

Windward Capital Management Co. CA lessened its position in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) by 3.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 83,827 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,265 shares during the quarter. CME Group comprises approximately 1.8% of Windward Capital Management Co. CA’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Windward Capital Management Co. CA’s holdings in CME Group were worth $22,891,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of CME Group by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 10,027 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,660,000 after purchasing an additional 1,037 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in CME Group by 103.1% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,692 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 121,707 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in shares of CME Group by 1,325.2% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 23,572 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,497,000 after buying an additional 21,918 shares in the last quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CME Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $992,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in CME Group by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 287,876 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $79,344,000 after acquiring an additional 7,397 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.75% of the company’s stock.

CME Group Price Performance

CME stock opened at $285.47 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $304.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $285.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $102.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.36, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.26. CME Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $257.17 and a fifty-two week high of $329.16.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $3.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.11 by $0.25. CME Group had a net margin of 63.19% and a return on equity of 15.42%. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that CME Group Inc. will post 12.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from CME Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.59%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bryan T. Durkin sold 4,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.65, for a total value of $1,300,530.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 43,007 shares in the company, valued at $13,317,117.55. This trade represents a 8.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Martin J. Gepsman sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.90, for a total value of $91,770.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 24,999 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,647,194.10. This trade represents a 1.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,539 shares of company stock valued at $2,713,821. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Key CME Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record Q1 revenue and volumes — CME reported record first-quarter revenue and a substantial rise in average daily volume, driven by heavier client activity and demand for hedging. This underpins growth momentum for transaction-driven clearing and data businesses. CME Group Posts Record Q1 Revenue As Trading Volumes Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Record daily activity and increased hedging demand — management highlighted record daily trading activity and said rising market risk has boosted demand for hedge trades, supporting fee and clearing revenue. Increasing market risk is driving record demand for ‘hedge’ trades, CME says
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call/transcript and disclosures — full Q1 earnings call transcript and presentation are available for deeper review of segment trends, client mix and management commentary. Useful for investors digging into recurring vs. one?off drivers. Full Transcript: CME Group Q1 2026 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and EPS narrowly missed some estimates — several outlets flagged that revenue and EPS were slightly below some consensus figures, which pressured the stock despite strong volumes. That “double miss” prompted near-term selling. CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q1 CY2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts trim targets but keep mixed ratings — TD Cowen lowered its target (keeps Buy) and Morgan Stanley trimmed its target (keeps Overweight), signaling continued confidence in the long?term thesis despite trimming near-term upside. TD Cowen adjusts price target on CME to $323 from $340, maintains Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman keeps a Sell and cuts its target — Goldman Sachs lowered its price target and retained a Sell rating, representing immediate downside vs. the prior price; that note is a clear near?term negative catalyst. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on CME Group to $267 from $275, maintains Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — commentary from analysts and writers notes that despite strong top?line and volume growth the stock’s valuation still looks rich to some, contributing to profit?taking. CME Group Q1 Earnings Show Strength, But The Stock Still Looks Expensive
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction — several outlets reported the stock slid after the print as investors digested the mix of record volumes and slight misses. CME Group (CME) Stock Slides Following Record-Breaking Q1 2026 Performance

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of CME Group from $275.00 to $267.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Erste Group Bank raised CME Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. TD Cowen cut their price target on CME Group from $340.00 to $323.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded CME Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $306.35.

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.