Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH reduced its stake in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) by 12.4% during the first quarter, according to the latest Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. The firm sold 1,109 shares, leaving it with 7,805 shares valued at approximately $2.07 million.
Other institutional investors have also reshaped their CME Group positions recently. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its holdings by 50% in the fourth quarter to 129 shares, worth about $30,000. Knuff & Co LLC, Banque Transatlantique SA, Whipplewood Advisors LLC, and United Community Bank each initiated new positions in CME Group during the same period, with investments ranging from $33,000 to $37,000. Institutional investors collectively own nearly 88% of CME Group’s stock.
Insider activity reveals notable share sales as well. General Counsel Jonathan L. Marcus sold 390 shares on May 20 at an average price of $277.50, reducing his holding by 5.49% to 6,708 shares valued around $1.86 million. Director Charles P. Carey offloaded 500 shares on June 10 at $265.35, trimming his stake by 9.26% to 4,900 shares worth $1.3 million. Over the past three months, insiders have sold 13,400 shares totaling $3.68 million, while maintaining a modest 0.3% ownership in the company.
Wall Street analysts offer a mixed outlook on CME Group. The Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating with a $269 price target. JPMorgan Chase downgraded CME to “underweight” and lowered its target from $223 to $211. Conversely, Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to “overweight,” raising its target to $283. Bank of America assigned an “underperform” rating but increased its target to $219. UBS Group remains bullish, hiking its price target to $305 and maintaining a “buy” rating. Overall, three analysts recommend selling, eight hold, and five advise buying, leading to a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $258.20, per MarketBeat.com.
CME Group shares closed Friday down $1.46 at $269.50, with 1.58 million shares traded, below the average daily volume of 2.2 million. The stock’s 12-month trading range is $190.70 to $290.79, supported by a market capitalization of $97.12 billion. The company’s price-to-earnings ratio stands at 27.87, with a P/E/G ratio of 6.76 and a beta of 0.45. The 50-day and 200-day moving averages are $272.73 and $254.39, respectively. CME maintains a conservative balance sheet with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10 and liquidity ratios near 1.0.
On April 23, CME Group reported strong first-quarter earnings, delivering $2.80 per share—surpassing analysts’ $2.61 estimate. Revenue rose 10.4% year-over-year to $1.64 billion, exceeding expectations of $1.56 billion. The firm posted a return on equity of 13.62% and a net margin of 57.52%. Analysts forecast 10.49 earnings per share for the full fiscal year.
Additionally, CME Group announced a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share, payable June 25 to shareholders of record on June 9. This represents a $5.00 annual dividend with a yield of 1.86%, and a payout ratio of 50.3%.
