Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 17,898 Shares of CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lessened its holdings in CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) by 6.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 264,922 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 17,898 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned 0.07% of CME Group worth $57,026,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in CME Group by 20.4% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 40,094 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,028,000 after purchasing an additional 6,786 shares during the period. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in CME Group in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Naples Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in CME Group by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 2,072 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in CME Group by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 58,996 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $12,424,000 after acquiring an additional 581 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in CME Group by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 25,573 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,386,000 after purchasing an additional 966 shares during the last quarter. 87.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CME Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CME traded down $0.76 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $199.85. 1,554,859 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,781,966. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $201.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $207.04. The company has a market cap of $71.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.74, a PEG ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.52. CME Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.11 and a 12-month high of $223.80.

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.06. CME Group had a net margin of 56.84% and a return on equity of 12.45%. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.48 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that CME Group Inc. will post 9.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CME Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 7th were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 7th. CME Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CME. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of CME Group from $228.00 to $208.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “sell” rating and set a $187.00 target price (up previously from $185.00) on shares of CME Group in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on CME Group from $222.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Bank of America lifted their price target on CME Group from $209.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $226.00 price objective on shares of CME Group in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CME Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $215.82.

Insider Transactions at CME Group

In related news, insider Hilda Harris Piell sold 7,140 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.35, for a total value of $1,501,899.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 29,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,153,999.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Terry L. Savage sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.65, for a total transaction of $526,625.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,673,946.65. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Hilda Harris Piell sold 7,140 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.35, for a total value of $1,501,899.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 29,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,153,999.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 54,290 shares of company stock worth $11,393,700. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About CME Group

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.