CME Group Shares Close 0.16% Higher After Third-Quarter Results

CME Group shares closed 0.16% higher Oct. 21 after the derivatives exchange operator posted record third-quarter revenue, even as operating expenses rose and cryptocurrency trading volume fell from a year earlier.

At 4 p.m. ET (20:00 UTC), the stock stood at $295.79, up $0.48 from the previous close. The closing gain followed the release of results for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026.

Revenue rose to $1.7373 billion from $1.5376 billion a year earlier. It was CME’s highest revenue for a third quarter; only one quarter in its history generated more. Operating expenses increased to $595.9 million from $565 million. Adjusted diluted earnings were $3.02 per share, while GAAP diluted earnings were $2.89 per share.

Cryptocurrency futures and options averaged 196,000 contracts a day, down from 340,000 in the third quarter of 2025. Across all CME markets, average daily trading reached 29.4 million contracts, a third-quarter high. An earlier story on CME’s record third-quarter revenue and crypto trading volume examined the difference between the broader trading gain and weaker crypto activity.