Westpac Banking Corp Sells 7,500 Shares of CME Group Inc. $CME

Westpac Banking Corp decreased its position in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) by 14.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 45,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 7,500 shares during the period. CME Group makes up approximately 0.8% of Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in CME Group were worth $12,292,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. West Family Investments Inc. lifted its stake in CME Group by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 3,062 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $827,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC lifted its stake in CME Group by 64.9% during the 4th quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 94 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC lifted its stake in CME Group by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 11,523 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,147,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its stake in CME Group by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC lifted its stake in CME Group by 26.8% during the 3rd quarter. 1248 Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.75% of the company’s stock.

CME Group Trading Down 2.8%

CME Group stock opened at $250.53 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. CME Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $244.56 and a 12-month high of $329.16. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $292.22 and a 200 day moving average of $289.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.21.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $3.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that CME Group Inc. will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current year.

CME Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 9th. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on CME shares. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of CME Group from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of CME Group from $266.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of CME Group from $356.00 to $349.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their price target on shares of CME Group from $340.00 to $316.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of CME Group from $295.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at CME Group

In other CME Group news, insider Hilda Harris Piell sold 5,753 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $304.63, for a total transaction of $1,752,536.39. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 27,702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,438,860.26. This trade represents a 17.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Terrence A. Duffy sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.51, for a total transaction of $10,447,850.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 55,630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,606,111.30. This trade represents a 38.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 44,044 shares of company stock valued at $13,297,507 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key CME Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CME launched 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options, expanding access for global market participants and potentially boosting volumes in its fast-growing digital-asset franchise. CME Group Announces Launch of 24/7 Cryptocurrency Futures and Options Trading
• Positive Sentiment: The company reported a record May average daily volume of 33.2 million contracts, up 15% year over year, signaling strong customer activity and healthy transaction demand. CME Group May Volume Hits New Record of 33.2 Million Contracts, Up 15% Year Over Year
• Positive Sentiment: Ripple said CME’s new around-the-clock crypto offering reflects strong institutional demand, highlighting CME’s role in regulated digital-asset trading and clearing. Ripple Highlights Institutional XRP Demand as CME Launches 24/7 Crypto Futures
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have recently continued to view CME as an attractive dividend stock, which may help support investor sentiment but does not appear to be a major near-term catalyst. CME Group (CME) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also weighing competitive concerns after a rival U.S. equity-index futures product went live, raising fears of fee pressure and possible market-share loss in CME’s core derivatives franchise. CME slides 5.7% as a new U.S. equity-index futures competitor goes live, raising share-loss fears

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.