Can Crypto Growth Offset Flat Earnings Momentum for CME Group (CME)?

• CME Group reported third quarter 2025 earnings, with revenue of US$1.54 billion and net income of US$908 million, both slightly lower than the same period last year, while nine-month results showed growth year-over-year.
• Management emphasized growth in new product launches, international engagement, and record crypto contract trading volumes, underscoring the company’s focus on innovation and global reach.
• We’ll explore how the surge in crypto trading volumes and international growth highlighted in CME’s update impacts its investment narrative.

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CME Group Investment Narrative Recap

To be a CME Group shareholder, you need to believe in the enduring importance of centralized risk management and derivatives trading, particularly as diverse global market participants seek transparent, regulated venues. The latest earnings and buyback updates offered little material change to the near-term investment narrative; volume growth, in particular, the surge in crypto trading, remains the central short-term catalyst, while growing competition from decentralized solutions continues to be the primary risk.

Among recent company developments, October’s launch of new options on Solana (SOL) and XRP futures stands out as highly relevant. This move directly feeds into CME’s ongoing product innovation, spotlighting management’s pursuit of emerging asset classes, an area that underpins both current momentum in trading volumes and investor optimism for future growth.

By contrast, investors should be aware that even strong demand for crypto or innovative products may not fully insulate CME from the risk that...

Read the full narrative on CME Group (it's free!)

CME Group's outlook projects $7.3 billion in revenue and $4.3 billion in earnings by 2028. This is based on a 4.4% annual revenue growth rate and a $0.6 billion increase in earnings from the current $3.7 billion.

Uncover how CME Group's forecasts yield a $282.11 fair value, a 6% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

The Simply Wall St Community provided 4 fair value estimates for CME Group, ranging from US$196 to US$282 per share. Views differ widely as some focus on the upside from international and product expansion while others highlight the risk of trading volume slowdowns affecting revenue growth.

Explore 4 other fair value estimates on CME Group - why the stock might be worth 26% less than the current price!

Build Your Own CME Group Narrative

Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

• A great starting point for your CME Group research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.
• Our free CME Group research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate CME Group's overall financial health at a glance.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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