WCM Investment Management LLC Invests $1.51 Million in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 6,916 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,510,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in CME Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in CME Group by 66.1% in the 2nd quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 196 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC grew its position in CME Group by 515.2% in the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 203 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CME Group by 62.2% during the 3rd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 193 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, Bank & Trust Co bought a new position in shares of CME Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.75% of the company's stock.

CME Group Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CME traded up $1.33 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $227.64. 452,353 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,906,998. CME Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $190.70 and a 1-year high of $230.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $222.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $210.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a market cap of $81.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.89, a PEG ratio of 5.69 and a beta of 0.55.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.65 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.59 billion. CME Group had a net margin of 57.34% and a return on equity of 13.39%. CME Group's revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. Equities analysts predict that CME Group Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. CME Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 48.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CME shares. Redburn Atlantic downgraded shares of CME Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $244.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of CME Group in a report on Thursday, September 26th. They set a "hold" rating and a $221.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of CME Group in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of CME Group from $177.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of CME Group from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CME Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $224.47.

Insider Activity at CME Group

In related news, CFO Lynne Fitzpatrick sold 754 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Sunday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.99, for a total transaction of $163,610.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,877,504.39. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other CME Group news, Director Martin J. Gepsman sold 400 shares of CME Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.92, for a total value of $89,168.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 25,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,587,935.64. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Lynne Fitzpatrick sold 754 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Sunday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.99, for a total transaction of $163,610.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,877,504.39. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,621 shares of company stock worth $3,441,063. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

CME Group Company Profile

CME Group Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates contract markets for the trading of futures and options on futures contracts worldwide. It offers futures and options products based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, agricultural commodities, energy, and metals, as well as fixed income and foreign currency trading services.