{"id":86210,"date":"2023-11-19T00:08:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-19T05:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/news\/exchange-operator-cme-group-gets-neutral-rating-reaffirmed-a-strong-but-expensive-earner\/"},"modified":"2023-11-19T00:08:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T05:08:44","slug":"exchange-operator-cme-group-gets-neutral-rating-reaffirmed-a-strong-but-expensive-earner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=86210","title":{"rendered":"Exchange Operator CME Group Gets Neutral Rating Reaffirmed: A Strong But Expensive Earner"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-test-id=\"content-container\">\n<p><figure class=\"getty-figure\" data-type=\"getty-image\"><picture>  <\/picture><figcaption> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2>Stock Overview<\/h2>\n<p>In today&#8217;s research note, I&#8217;ll be doing my 2.5 month review of <strong>CME Group (<span class=\"ticker-hover-wrapper\">NASDAQ:CME<\/span>)<\/strong>, within the <em>financial exchanges<\/em> sector, a stock I last covered in September before its most recent earnings result.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible\">Since my last rating in September which called on <em>holding<\/em> the stock, it appears that I called it correctly as the share price has gone up nearly 5% since then (as of the writing of this article).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002352082995799.jpg\" alt=\"CME - gain since last rating\" width=\"298\" height=\"371\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"298\" data-height=\"371\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; gain since last rating <span>(Seeking Alpha)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible\">Today after applying my updated rating methodology and 13-point scoring system, I will be reaffirming my prior rating and give it a hold rating again this time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible\">Here are some interesting company points about this Chicago-based firm from its website and why I picked this stock to cover: calls itself world&#8217;s leading derivatives marketplace enabling<span class=\"paywall-full-content no-summary-bullets invisible\"> the trading of futures, options, cash and OTC markets. Offers markets data sets and data analytics solutions for clients. Also offers research and clearing services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Rating Methodology<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The stock&#8217;s rating is based on its <em>WholeScore<\/em>, which is my approach to holistically rate a stock by considering 13 metrics of equal weight I think are relevant to investors and analysts. Key financial data presented is sourced from Seeking Alpha as well as the company&#8217;s recent FY2023 Q3 earnings release that came out on Oct. 25th.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Revenue Growth vs Peers<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The below table I created is a comparison of 5 peers I selected from the financial exchanges and data segment, to compare each other&#8217;s year over year (YoY) revenue growth, as well as comparing my topic stock CME Group with the peer average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002378865089421.jpg\" alt=\"CME - growth vs peers\" width=\"487\" height=\"130\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"487\" data-height=\"130\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; growth vs peers <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In this comparison, we can see that it was actually Germany-based <em>Deutsche Borse<\/em> (OTCPK:DBOEY) that led the group in growth, whereas CME came in 2nd and beat the peer average by just over 3%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">I was looking for them to beat the peer average by 5% or better, so they missed a potential rating point here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The nature of this business is that today&#8217;s exchange operators are more diversified and make money on things like data, as mentioned earlier, in addition to transaction and listing fees on the exchanges they operate. So, exchange <em>trading volume<\/em> obviously matters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">CME has shown a strong growth position within this peer group. Here is what CEO Duffy had to say in his recent earnings comments:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<p>CME Group delivered its ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share and a 9% increase in revenue as market participants continued turning to our markets to mitigate their business risks amid accelerating geopolitical uncertainty.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Revenue Growth (YoY)<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">From its current income statement, we see that CME achieved <strong>top-line revenue YoY growth of nearly 9%<\/strong>. My target was 5% or better, so it earned a rating point from me here for beating my target.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-1700237909723177.jpg\" alt=\"CME - revenue YoY growth\" width=\"437\" height=\"103\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"437\" data-height=\"103\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; revenue YoY growth <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">We already mentioned the strong revenue growth this firm has seen lately. However, I should also point out the revenue diversification of this firm, as shown in the pie chart:<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002436653284996.jpg\" alt=\"CME - revenue diversification\" width=\"358\" height=\"479\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"358\" data-height=\"479\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; revenue diversification <span>(company earnings)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">One positive mention also is the growth in the <em>market data<\/em> segment, a multi-million dollar business for this firm, according to their Q3 release:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<p>Market Data revenue in 3Q23 was a record $168 million,<strong> up 9%<\/strong> compared with 3Q22, due to the pricing adjustment that went into effect at the start of the year .<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So far, the evidence shows that CME has proven to be a growth engine in its sector.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Earnings Growth (YoY)<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Also from the income statement, it showed strength on earnings growth, achieving <strong>10.3% on YoY net income growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002379318320127.jpg\" alt=\"CME - earnings YoY growth\" width=\"511\" height=\"133\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"511\" data-height=\"133\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; earnings YoY growth <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">This easily beat my target of a 5% growth, and earned another rating point here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Since net income is impacted by expenses, good news is that the firm has adjusted some of its expense forecasts which I think is relevant to mention here for my readers:<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Full year adjusted operating expense: &#8220;Lowering to $1.475 billion, a $15 million decrease.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Full year capital expenditures: &#8220;Lowering to $85 million&#8221;, from prior estimate of $100MM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So, because of this I remain positive about the next quarterly earnings result due in a few months on February 6th. Also consider that this firm managed beat all 4 of the last 4 earnings estimates.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Cashflow Growth (YoY)<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The cashflow statement shows an amazing near <strong>32% YoY growth in free cash flow per share. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-1700237953617179.jpg\" alt=\"CME - cashflow growth\" width=\"531\" height=\"102\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"531\" data-height=\"102\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; cashflow growth <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">My target was a 5% growth, so they easily beat it and earned another rating point here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The reason I include a cash flow metric to track is that I believe a healthy business should be showing positive cash flow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">As a comparison among quarters, consider that only one out of the last 6 quarters has seen negative cash flow at this firm:<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002446462761772.jpg\" alt=\"CME - cash flow trend\" width=\"640\" height=\"173\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"640\" data-height=\"173\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; cash flow trend <span>(Seeking Alpha)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Equity Growth (YoY)<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">From the balance sheet, we see that positive equity growth declined only slightly by negative -0.35%, so we can say it was practically flat on a YoY basis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002380187520554.jpg\" alt=\"CME - equity growth\" width=\"440\" height=\"110\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"440\" data-height=\"110\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; equity growth <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">However, since my target is a 5% or better YoY growth, it missed the goal and did not get a rating point in this category.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The good news in the equity space is that this company&#8217;s long-term debt of $3.4B has not risen that much on a YoY basis, and practically flat since it was $3.4B in the same quarter a year ago too. I think this is a positive to mention, considering the high cost of debt nowadays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-1700244890136058.jpg\" alt=\"CME - long term debt\" width=\"640\" height=\"78\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"640\" data-height=\"78\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; long term debt <span>(Seeking Alpha)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">3 Year Dividend Growth<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">When it comes to dividends, I am looking for a 3 year dividend growth of at least 5% or better. It may seem like an arbitrary amount, but I thought it would be both a simplified approach and a conservative one, seeking modest YoY growth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In comparing the dividend rate from December 2023 of $1.10 per share with that of December 2020, it shows a 29.4% growth, easily beating my target.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002380768361657.jpg\" alt=\"CME - dividend growth\" width=\"466\" height=\"107\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"466\" data-height=\"107\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; dividend growth <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Important to mention also is that the above comparison is for quarterly dividends only. This firm, however, also offers a special \/ other dividend as well, according to its history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">For example, in addition to its regular quarterly dividend in 2022 of $1 per share, it also offered a one-time dividend of $4.50 per share towards the end of the year. This is significant to me as a dividend-driven investor because not that many firms I have researched here offer special dividends, so when I find one it is worth adding to my &#8220;dividend quick picks&#8221; of the week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">According to the company&#8217;s earnings release,<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<p>The company has returned over $22 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends since the implementation of the variable dividend policy in early 2012.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Dividend Yield vs Sector<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In terms of the dividend yield, I am looking for a competitive one in comparison to the industry. In some sectors, like tech, many stocks don&#8217;t pay a dividend at all. However, the financials sector is known to from what I&#8217;ve seen and in this case the forward yield is around 2%, somewhat below the sector average of 3.8%<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002381214286363.jpg\" alt=\"CME - dividend yield vs sector\" width=\"468\" height=\"130\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"468\" data-height=\"130\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; dividend yield vs sector <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">It didn&#8217;t get a rating point here as my target was for an above-average dividend yield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">It did however beat its peer in the exchange-operator space, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), whose yield is just 1.50%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">I also would point out that the share price is very bullish on CME stock right now, which I will discuss in the next section, and so keep in mind if a price dip occurs that could push that dividend yield up, which is an opportunity I am waiting for, to snag a yield around 3.5% to 4%.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Share Price vs Moving Average<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In this part, I will briefly talk about the share price itself in relation to the 200-day simple moving average, and whether I think it presents a great buying price now or not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">To do so, I picked a buy low\/sell high trading strategy where I am looking for price dips below the 200 day average. As the chart shows, the last time this happened was back in the spring. Since mid-summer or so, the share price has traded well above this moving average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"sa-widget sa-ycharts paywall-full-content invisible\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/saupload_d5d4a4e31c1a99ae1c1107ab1d374f9c.png\" alt=\"Chart\" width=\"635\" height=\"366\" class=\"sa-ycharts-img\" data-width=\"635\" data-height=\"366\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Data by YCharts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">If you look at my table below, you can see that the share price as of this article writing is over 10% above the moving average I am tracking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002381464864092.jpg\" alt=\"CME - share price vs moving avg\" width=\"477\" height=\"91\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"477\" data-height=\"91\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; share price vs moving avg <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Since it does not fit my buy\/sell strategy, I am not giving it a rating point here and will call it <em>overpriced<\/em> for now. Hopefully, I will see a dip into the $180 to $193 price range, which presents a better buying range in my opinion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Something that could trigger that type of selloff in this stock is a significant earnings miss for Q4, which is questionable since earnings so far have been strong and so is the company outlook, as well as the last several earnings beats. I am also not sure that there is a catalyst to drive the price significantly more upward from here right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Fellow exchange operator Intercontinental Exchange is trading at just around $112 per share, and only slightly above the 200 day average. So, there are cheaper options in this sector. When comparing the income statements of the two, Intercontinental Exchange also saw YoY revenue and earnings growth, as well as a cash flow statement showing YoY growth there too.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Price Return vs S&amp;P500<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">The market momentum of this stock has been impressive, beating the S&amp;P500 index in terms of 1 year price return, to the tune of a <strong>77% outperformance vs the index!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002381761954937.jpg\" alt=\"CME - momentum vs S&amp;P500\" width=\"495\" height=\"89\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"495\" data-height=\"89\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; momentum vs S&amp;P500 <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In comparing 3 of the peers in my peer group, CBOE Global Markets (CBOE), CME Group, and Intercontinental Exchange all saw positive 1 year performance of at between 7% and 45%, according to Seeking Alpha data on this sector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So, this tells a story of market confidence in the exchange operators as a subsegment of financials, even though banks themselves took a hit this spring, but obviously exchanges are not banks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">I wrote many months ago in a Seeking Alpha article that I see value in the exchange operators since on the one hand they make much of modern trading possible but also earn fees regardless of whether your own trade wins or loses.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">P\/E Ratio<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">When it comes to valuation, one metric I care about is the forward price to earnings ratio because it tells me if the market is willing to pay a high premium vs earnings, or not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In this case, the market is pricing this stock at almost 25x earnings, as my table shows, even though the industry average in this sector is under 10x earnings. <em>Highly overvalued<\/em>, I think.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-1700238252683658.jpg\" alt=\"CME - P\/E ratio\" width=\"501\" height=\"104\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"501\" data-height=\"104\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; P\/E ratio <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">But what is driving such a high valuation in my opinion?<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Even though earnings have improved on a YoY basis, it seems the evidence shows price has really skyrocketed into bullish territory, so I think the &#8220;P&#8221; side of this ratio is what is driving it up, another reason I find this stock to be overbought right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">This should come down as the earnings continue to rise and the price takes a dip. That may be a hard ask right now if the market bulls continue to chase this otherwise really attractive company in my opinion.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">P\/B Ratio<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">A similar scenario seems to be happening when talking about the forward price to book value, with the ratio of 2.77x book value being over 163% above average and <em>highly overvalued. <\/em>My target for both valuation ratios was an undervaluation or at worst a slight overvaluation near the average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002382736637902.jpg\" alt=\"CME - P\/B ratio\" width=\"448\" height=\"127\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"448\" data-height=\"127\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; P\/B ratio <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">I think the equity \/ book value being relatively the same on a YoY basis, as mentioned earlier, while the share price is into overdrive mode, can be what is driving this metric.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">What can help this case is if the price takes a dip while the equity improves, and that is hard to predict exactly at this point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In the comments section, I welcome your thoughts on whether you consider this stock overvalued and why or why not?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Return on Equity<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In looking at the return on equity, I am focusing on the trailing twelve month return on common equity, as a relevant metric. In this case, the firm achieved a nearly 11% return, but missed its sector average by 8.4%, and also missed a rating point from me since my target was 5% or more above the average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-1700238292088653.jpg\" alt=\"CME - return on common equity\" width=\"440\" height=\"141\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"440\" data-height=\"141\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; return on common equity <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">However, it is not that far below the average, and is not a terrible number either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">It did better in this metric than its peer Intercontinental Exchange, whose return was 10.12%.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Risk Score<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Unlike banks, a financial exchange operator does not have some of the same risk exposures such as exposure to bad loans or declining bond portfolio values, or exposure to uninsured deposits and the risk of a bank run.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So, because this company&#8217;s largest business segment is running an exchange that depends on trading volume, a risk would be a drop in investing volume, such as investor jitters surrounding two geopolitical wars going on simultaneously, or perhaps an extended recession leading to less investing \/trading and more hoarding of cash.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">However, right now no certainty of recession has been announced, and the geopolitical tensions seem to have benefited this firm in terms of trading certain items, according to their Q3 presentation:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<p>Third quarter showed strong performance across all Agricultural products. <strong>Geopolitical tensions<\/strong>, renewable fuel demand and export trends <em>have contributed to significant growth in options volumes<\/em> across the Grain &amp; Oilseed complex.<\/p>\n<p>CME Group\u2019s Crude Oil suite of products provide market participants with tools to express their directional views on the market and manage their price related risk, made for a strong September and 3Q as <strong>global crude oil supply worries<\/strong> combined with high demand led to increased oil prices.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So, I would say the risk for this firm is low, and therefore I will not take reduce their overall rating because of a significant risk I know of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In this case, I gave it a Risk Score of 5, seeing that the risk impact is low and risk probability of geopolitical tensions is medium to high.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002546134459107.jpg\" alt=\"CME - risk score\" width=\"504\" height=\"104\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"504\" data-height=\"104\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; risk score <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">WholeScore Rating<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">This stock got a WholeScore of 5 in today&#8217;s rating, earning a rating of <strong>hold \/ neutral<\/strong> from me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">\n<figure class=\"regular-img-figure paywall-full-content invisible\" contenteditable=\"false\"><picture> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/58572054-17002547240218859.jpg\" alt=\"CME - WholeScore\" width=\"367\" height=\"283\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-width=\"367\" data-height=\"283\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture><figcaption>\n<p class=\"item-caption\">CME &#8211; WholeScore <span>(author analysis)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">In comparing my rating to that of the consensus, I am agreeing this time with the SA quant system which shows a &#8220;hold&#8221; consensus today, while I think the &#8220;buy&#8221; consensus from Wall Street and SA analysts is overly bullish.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">Summary and Forward Outlook<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">To summarize, I am reaffirming my hold rating on this stock from last time and my sentiment is neutral: I think it is too valuable to sell despite the high price but that is also a reason that it does not present a great buy right now either. It is not clear if the price will dip soon or not, but also I don&#8217;t see a catalyst to drive it up a lot higher than it is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">As a dividend income stream, it would be a decent addition to my portfolio of financial-sector stocks, if I was holding this one, to have exposure to the exchanges and &#8220;own a piece of the exchange&#8221; as I like to put it. After all, the market for trading options, futures, commodities, and so on is a multi-billion-dollar a year industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall-full-content invisible no-summary-bullets\">So, for now a dividend quick pick and reliable earner but an expensive one!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Read the full article <a href=\"https:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/4652899-exchange-operator-cme-group-gets-neutral-rating-reaffirmed-a-strong-but-expensive-earner?source=feed_all_articles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stock Overview In today&#8217;s research note, I&#8217;ll be doing my 2.5 month review of CME Group (NASDAQ:CME), within the financial exchanges sector, a stock I last covered in September before its most recent earnings result. Since my last rating in September which called on holding the stock, it appears that I called it correctly as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[236],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-86210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Exchange Operator CME Group Gets Neutral Rating Reaffirmed: A Strong But Expensive Earner | iFintechWorld<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stock Overview In today&#039;s research note, I&#039;ll be doing my 2.5 month review of CME Group (NASDAQ:CME), within the financial exchanges sector, a stock I\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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