CME Group (NASDAQ:CME – Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $356.00 to $349.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 15.46% from the company’s previous close.
A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on CME. Argus reissued a “hold” rating on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of CME Group in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “market perform” rating and a $305.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial lifted 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. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $310.00 target price on shares of CME Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of CME Group from $319.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $307.88.
CME Group Trading Down 0.2%
CME Group (NASDAQ:CME – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.75 by $0.02. CME Group had a net margin of 62.45% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.52 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that CME Group will post 10.49 EPS for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at CME Group
In related news, General Counsel Jonathan L. Marcus sold 3,291 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.37, for a total value of $1,097,120.67. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 7,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,397,597.04. The trade was a 31.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Bryan T. Durkin sold 4,200 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.65, for a total transaction of $1,300,530.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 43,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,317,117.55. The trade was a 8.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 8,539 shares of company stock worth $2,713,821 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CME. Norges Bank acquired a new position in CME Group during the 4th quarter worth $1,523,241,000. Sanders Capital LLC acquired a new position in CME Group during the 3rd quarter worth $1,006,932,000. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in CME Group during the 3rd quarter worth $636,487,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in CME Group by 746.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,049,649 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $559,720,000 after acquiring an additional 1,807,491 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in CME Group during the 4th quarter worth $217,656,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.75% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting CME Group
Here are the key news stories impacting CME Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Record Q1 volumes — CME reported international average daily volume (ADV) hit a record 11.4M contracts in Q1, up ~30% YoY, with all major product suites posting quarterly international ADV records; stronger ADV typically boosts transaction revenue and supports earnings durability. CME Group International ADV Reaches Record 11.4M Contracts in Q1 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Crypto product expansion — CME is adding Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) futures (micro and standard sizes) with a planned May 4 rollout, and is advancing a broader 24/7 crypto offering; these moves expand addressable market and could lift future trading volumes and fees. CME Group to Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism — several broker notes surfaced: an average “Moderate Buy” consensus and a Raymond James note saying the stock is likely to rise, reflecting analyst confidence in CME’s revenue trends and product-led growth. CME Given Average Recommendation of Moderate Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $344 (from $312) — a material lift to modeled upside even as the firm kept an equal-weight rating, signaling higher long-term valuation assumptions. Barclays Adjusts Price Target on CME Group to $344
- Neutral Sentiment: New coverage and modest PTs — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage with a “market perform” and $305 target, a cautious near-term view that may limit upside from some investors. Keefe Bruyette & Woods Starts Coverage
- Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market flow context — CME’s market data is being widely cited (e.g., Fed-cut odds), and large block trades in oil and other futures routed through venues CME operates have driven episodic volatility and volume; this boosts ADV but can also cause short-term price swings in the stock. Markets Shift Toward Potential Fed Rate Cut; CME Data Cited
- Neutral Sentiment: Third‑party SPAC crypto financing references CME rates — an Evernorth SEC filing ties XRP pricing/valuation mechanics to CME CF rates, highlighting CME’s role in broader crypto market structure but with indirect and uncertain revenue implication. Evernorth Amended SEC Filing Deepens XRP Role
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/approval risk for crypto products — the AVAX and SUI futures launches are pending regulatory approval; any delays or restrictions could push out expected revenue gains and keep investor caution elevated. CME Group Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures
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.
See Also
Receive News & Ratings for CME Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CME Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
