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. The company also provides clearing house services, including clearing, settling, and guaranteeing futures and options contracts, and cleared swaps products traded through its exchanges; and trade processing and risk mitigation services. In addition, the company offers a range of market data services, including real-time and historical data services. It serves professional traders, financial institutions, institutional and individual investors, corporations, manufacturers, producers, governments, and central banks. The company was formerly known as Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. and changed its name to CME Group Inc. in July 2007. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

CME Group Inc.

In trading on Friday, shares of CME Group (Symbol: CME) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $271.52, changing hands as low as $269.13 per share. CME Group shares are currently trading down about 1% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of CME shares, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, CME's low point in its 52 week range is $224.62 per share, with $290.79 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $270.13. The CME DMA information above was sourced from TechnicalAnalysisChannel.com
Click here to find out which 9 other dividend stocks recently crossed below their 200 day moving average »
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CME Group Breaks Below 200-Day Moving Average - Notable for CME

Investors in CME Group (Symbol: CME) saw new options begin trading today, for the February 2026 expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the CME options chain for the new February 2026 contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.
The put contract at the $270.00 strike price has a current bid of $2.65. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $270.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $267.35 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of CME, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $274.76/share today.
Because the $270.00 strike represents an approximate 2% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 63%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.98% return on the cash commitment, or 8.14% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.
Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for CME Group, and highlighting in green where the $270.00 strike is located relative to that history:
Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $280.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.90. If an investor was to purchase shares of CME stock at the current price level of $274.76/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $280.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 3.33% if the stock gets called away at the February 2026 expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if CME shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for CME Group, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing CME's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $280.00 strike highlighted in red:
Considering the fact that the $280.00 strike represents an approximate 2% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 58%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 1.42% boost of extra return to the investor, or 11.77% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.
The implied volatility in the put contract example is 19%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 20%.
Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $274.76) to be 19%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

February 2026 Options Now Available For CME Group

Bitcoin, the most well-known of the cryptocurrencies, is having a topsy-turvy 2025. The largest cryptocurrency in terms of market cap ($1.79 trillion) began the year at $93,615.04 but dropped to a yearly low of $76,270.13 in April. It gradually recovered to hit an all-time high of more than $126,000 in early October, driven by strong institutional interest, growing recognition as a store of value, and liberal policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. However, since then, bitcoin has retraced roughly 30% due to aggressive selling and profit-taking by large holders. Bitcoin is currently hovering around $90,000 and is expected to remain under pressure due to sluggish demand.
Although the near-term is expected to remain chaotic, bitcoin’s prospects in 2026 are anticipated to benefit from growing interest from institutions like Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), corporate treasuries, family offices and sovereign funds. The expected passage of the CLARITY Act in January 2026 can act as a tailwind, as it will create a regulatory framework for digital asset regulation. An improving regulatory environment is expected to boost institutional investor confidence, paving the way for further investments. This bodes well for bitcoin-centric stocks, including Robinhood Markets HOOD, Klarna Group Plc KLAR, Sofi Technologies SOFI and CME Group CME.
Bitcoin Rally to Continue Amid Crypto Winter Threat?
Bitcoin is facing the threat of a crypto winter in 2026. Historically, the cryptocurrency has followed a four-year cycle, with the last major winter happening between November 2021 and November 2022. Traditionally, bitcoin rises post “halving,” a quadrennial event, under which the number of bitcoins created every 10 minutes is cut in half, intentionally limiting the supply of bitcoin, thereby driving demand for bitcoin. Post halving, the bull run generally continues till bitcoin hits a new peak, which happened in October 2025. The roughly 30% dip since then has ignited debate over whether bitcoin is already in a bear market or not. The bearish analysts expectbitcoin pricesto fall toward $70,000 in the near term and further to $56,000 over the long term.
However, crypto-focused asset manager Grayscale expects this four-year cycle to end in 2026. Grayscale expectsbitcoin pricesto hit a new all-time high in the first half of 2026. Improving the regulatory environment and growing recognition of cryptocurrencies as alternative stores of value are major catalysts. BitMex co-founder Arthur Hayes believes that bitcoin will quickly recover to $1,24,000 and will hit $2,00,000, driven by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s newly introduced “Reserve Management Purchases” policy, which is essentially a quantitative easing process addressed to boost liquidity through accelerated money creation. According to Galaxy Research, chances of bitcoin making a new all-time high in 2026 are possible and will hit $250,000 by the end of 2027.
Institutional demand is expected to recover with an improving regulatory environment. According to Quartz, BlackRock has ranked iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) among its top three 2025 investment themes. IBIT has attracted around $25 billion in net inflows this year. Net inflows in crypto ETFs are expected to exceed $50 billion in 2026, driven by the launch of more than 100 crypto-linked products thanks to the approval of generic listing standards by the U.S. SEC in September 2025.
4 Crypto-Oriented Stocks to Rally
Robinhood offers trading services in crypto, stocks, options and ETFs, cash management, margin, securities lending and Robinhood Gold. HOOD is benefiting from higher transaction revenues driven by growing retail market participation. Robinhood’s digital-native strategy has enabled the company to scale rapidly across the United States. Strategic acquisitions and product expansion efforts aimed at active traders are expected to benefit this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company’s prospects in 2026. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.40 per share, up 14.8% over the past 60 days, suggesting 20.6% growth from 2025’s consensus earnings estimate of $1.99 per share.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. Price and Consensus
Klarna offers payment solutions that connect consumers and merchants. In the third quarter of 2025, active Klarna consumers jumped 32% year over year to $114 million. KLAR had 850K merchants at the end of the third quarter, up 38% year over year, while Gross Merchandise Volume exceeded $100 billion. Klarna expanded its cryptocurrency footprint with Privy and Coinbase partnerships. The launch of KlarnaUSD is a key catalyst for this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at 50 cents per share, up four cents over the past 30 days. The consensus mark for 2025 loss is pegged at 57 cents per share, narrower by 6 cents over the past 30 days.
Klarna Group plc Price and Consensus
SoFi Technologies offers financial services that enable members to borrow, save, spend, invest and safeguard their money. SoFi became the first nationally chartered bank in the United States to launch crypto services for retail customers through its new SoFi Crypto platform. On Dec. 18, SoFi launched SoFiUSD, a fully reserved U.S. dollar stablecoin that can be used by banks, fintechs and enterprise platforms. SoFi Technologies carries a Zacks Rank #2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at 59 cents per share, up a couple of cents over the past 60 days, suggesting 62.1% growth from 2025’s consensus earnings estimate of 36 cents per share.
SoFi Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus
CME Group is riding on record volume growth. Strong customer base, reflected by quarter and year-end open interest of 126 million contracts, the highest open interest at the end of September in the past five years, reflects growing interest. CME Group’s crypto complex traded a record 340,000 contracts per day in the third quarter of 2025 and jumped more than 225% year over year, driven by successful offerings of Solana and XRP futures. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company plans to offer 24/7 trading of cryptocurrency futures and options beginning early 2026.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $11.61 per share, up by a nickel over the past 60 days, suggesting 4.3% growth from 2025’s consensus earnings estimate of $11.13 per share.
CME Group Inc. Price and Consensus
Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026
Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.
From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.
Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Crypto Comeback in 2026? 4 Stocks to Ride the Bitcoin Rally

Increased volatility, supportive U.S. economic policies under President Donald Trump, higher acceptance of digital assets, continued efforts of the exchange players to go beyond only trading activity, and increased retail trading are factors that will shape the future of exchanges. In this evolving landscape, let’s find out which company is better positioned for long-term growth — Coinbase Global Inc. COIN or CME Group CME?
Coinbase, the largest regulated cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, is well-positioned to capitalize on increased market volatility and rising digital asset valuations.
On the other hand, CME is the largest futures exchange in the world in terms of trading volume as well as notional value traded. A strong global presence, a compelling product portfolio, focus on over-the-counter clearing services, and a solid capital position make CME well poised for growth.
The Case for COIN
Coinbase appears strategically positioned to benefit from President Trump’s pro-crypto stance and his emphasis on establishing clearer regulatory frameworks for digital assets. CEO Brian Armstrong’s long-term vision encompasses transforming Coinbase into an “everything exchange,” offering a comprehensive range of financial services built on crypto-native infrastructure.
To support this ambition, Coinbase has been steadily expanding its product ecosystem. The company has enabled Solana (SOL) on Base, opened decentralized exchange (DEX) trading to provide streamlined access to Solana assets and simplified cross-asset movement. It has also introduced Shiba Inu–linked futures on its U.S.-regulated derivatives platform, expanded listings of alternative cryptocurrencies, and launched new offerings such as prediction markets and tokenized equities. Together, these initiatives aim to broaden Coinbase’s appeal beyond traditional spot trading.
Coinbase’s strategy increasingly extends beyond trading activity alone. A key pillar is Base, its low-cost Layer 2 network, which is designed to support high-volume, real-world on-chain applications and drive broader crypto adoption. COIN is also promoting stablecoins as foundational financial infrastructure. Through Coinbase Payments, it seeks to reduce merchant reliance on traditional card networks by enabling faster, lower-cost online payments using stablecoins. Its collaboration with Kalshi to enter the prediction-market space further reflects a deliberate effort to diversify revenue streams and tap into event-driven trading opportunities.
Mergers and acquisitions have also played a central role in Coinbase’s expansion. The company is in the process of acquiring The Clearing Company to strengthen its presence in prediction markets, marking its tenth acquisition this year.
Coinbase has additionally deepened its integration with traditional finance, partnering with major institutions such as JPMorgan, Citi and PNC. It is also engaged in discussions with leading U.S. banks regarding pilot programs for stablecoins, custody, and crypto trading services.
Despite these advances, Coinbase continues to face profitability pressure from high operating and transaction costs, and its earnings remain sensitive to crypto market volatility. Sharp declines in major assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum could weigh on results. Still, its expanding ecosystem, strategic acquisitions, and improving regulatory outlook support a compelling long-term growth narrative in the evolving digital-asset landscape.
The Case for CME
CME Group’s financial infrastructure supports global risk management across a wide range of asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, and, increasingly, digital assets. This diversified exposure positions the company well for long-term growth, supported by ongoing product innovation and expansion into new markets.
The company is experiencing rising electronic trading volumes alongside growing adoption of crypto-related products, reflecting broader interest across the digital-asset ecosystem. With President Trump’s second term signaling a more favorable regulatory environment for crypto, increased institutional participation and easing regulatory constraints could further support growth.
A key strength of CME Group lies in its ability to grow organically. As a derivatives exchange, CME benefits directly from heightened market volatility, which tends to drive higher trading volumes. Increased volumes translate into higher clearing and transaction fee revenues, allowing the company to perform well across varying market conditions.
CME Group also benefits from strong network effects. Deep liquidity in its flagship contracts attracts additional participants, making it difficult for competitors to replicate or displace its core markets.
CME’s ongoing investments are delivering favorable results, with a focus on disciplined cost management to enhance margins. It generates industry-leading operating margins and robust free cash flow, enabling regular capital returns through dividends and share repurchases while maintaining a strong balance sheet. Free cash flow conversion has remained above 85% in recent quarters, underscoring earnings quality.
However, CME faces concentration risk, as interest rate and equity products still account for a substantial portion of clearing and transaction revenues. The company also operates in an increasingly competitive landscape. Regulatory changes may intensify competition from crypto platforms, alternative instruments, electronic communication networks, and bank-owned trading venues, posing ongoing challenges to market share.
Estimates for COIN and CME
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COIN’s 2025 revenues implies a 13.5% year-over-year increase, while that for EPS implies a 4.7% year-over-year increase. EPS estimates have moved 5 cents south over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CME’s 2025 revenues implies a 5.1% increase, while that for EPS indicates a 4.3% year-over-year decrease. Estimates witnessed no movement over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Price Performance of COIN and CME
COIN shares have lost 3.5% year to date, while CME shares have rallied 19% in the same time.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Are COIN and CME Shares Expensive?
Coinbase is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 40.6, lower than its median of 46.1 over the past three years. CME’s forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple sits at 23.8, higher than its median of 22.4 over the past three years.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion
Coinbase benefits from a well-diversified revenue base that includes trading fees, staking, custodial services and derivatives, all bolstered by growing institutional demand. This crypto leader is leaving no stone unturned to be a one-stop destination for trading of any digital assets or providing financial services related to crypto or digital assets.
Given its efforts to expand futures products in emerging markets, diversify derivative product lines and global reach, its OTC offerings, increased electronic trading, cross-selling through alliances, strong global presence and solid liquidity position, CME Group is well-positioned for growth.
COIN and CME carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each. However, CME’s price appreciation and near-term growth prospects place it ahead of COIN.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026
Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.
From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.
Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5.
Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Coinbase vs. CME Group: Which Exchange Platform is Faring Better?

Investors in CME Group (Symbol: CME) saw new options become available today, for the February 2026 expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the CME options chain for the new February 2026 contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.
The put contract at the $275.00 strike price has a current bid of $4.50. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $275.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $270.50 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of CME, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $276.77/share today.
Because the $275.00 strike represents an approximate 1% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 56%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 1.64% return on the cash commitment, or 13.57% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.
Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for CME Group, and highlighting in green where the $275.00 strike is located relative to that history:
Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $280.00 strike price has a current bid of $4.20. If an investor was to purchase shares of CME stock at the current price level of $276.77/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $280.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 2.68% if the stock gets called away at the February 2026 expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if CME shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for CME Group, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing CME's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $280.00 strike highlighted in red:
Considering the fact that the $280.00 strike represents an approximate 1% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 55%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 1.52% boost of extra return to the investor, or 12.59% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.
The implied volatility in the put contract example is 20%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 19%.
Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $276.77) to be 19%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CME February 2026 Options Begin Trading

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index ETF (Symbol: ONEQ) where we have detected an approximate $203.9 million dollar outflow -- that's a 2.1% decrease week over week (from 104,000,000 to 101,800,000). Among the largest underlying components of ONEQ, in trading today MercadoLibre Inc (Symbol: MELI) is off about 0.1%, CME Group (Symbol: CME) is up about 0.4%, and Cadence Design Systems Inc (Symbol: CDNS) is lower by about 0.3%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the ONEQ Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of ONEQ, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, ONEQ's low point in its 52 week range is $58.12 per share, with $94.49 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $92.63. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index ETF Experiences Big Outflow

Investors looking for stocks in the Securities and Exchanges sector might want to consider either London Stock Exchange Group plc - Unsponsored ADR (LSEGY) or CME Group (CME). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.
We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Currently, London Stock Exchange Group plc - Unsponsored ADR has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while CME Group has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that LSEGY has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.
Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.
The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.
LSEGY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 21.99, while CME has a forward P/E of 23.90. We also note that LSEGY has a PEG ratio of 1.89. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. CME currently has a PEG ratio of 3.97.
Another notable valuation metric for LSEGY is its P/B ratio of 2.05. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, CME has a P/B of 3.4.
These are just a few of the metrics contributing to LSEGY's Value grade of B and CME's Value grade of D.
LSEGY is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that LSEGY is likely the superior value option right now.
Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"
Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

LSEGY vs. CME: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Shares of Nasdaq, Inc. NDAQ closed at $94.71 on Thursday, near its 52-week high of $97.63. This proximity underscores investor confidence. It has the ingredients for further price appreciation.
The stock is trading above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages (SMA) of $88.78 and $85.93, respectively, indicating solid upward momentum. SMA is a widely used technical analysis tool to predict future price trends by analyzing historical price data.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NDAQ is an Outperformer
Shares of Nasdaq have gained 21.9% in the past year, outperforming the industry's growth of 8.8%, the Finance sector’s return of 16.4% and the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s appreciation of 15.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NDAQ Shares are Overvalued
Nasdaq shares are trading at a multiple higher than the Zacks Securities and Exchange industry. Its forward price-to-earnings of 25.04X is higher than the industry average of 24.1X.
However, shares of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. ICE, Cboe Global Markets, Inc. CBOE and CME Group Inc. CME are trading at a discount to the industry average.
NDAQ’s Growth Projection Encourages
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nasdaq’s 2025 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 21.2%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $5.22 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 12.2%. The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings per share and revenues indicates an increase of 10.8% and 7.2%, respectively, from the corresponding 2025 estimates.
The long-term earnings growth is expected to be 16.5%, better than the industry average of 11%.
Optimist Analyst Sentiment on NDAQ
Each of the 10 analysts covering the stock has raised estimates for 2025, and eight analysts have raised the same for 2026 over the past 60 days. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 earnings has moved up 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively, in the past 60 days.
Average Target Price for ICE Suggests Upside
Based on short-term price targets offered by 16 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $106.50 per share. The average suggests a potential 13.6% upside from the last closing price.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Nasdaq’s Favorable Return on Capital
Return on equity in the trailing 12 months was 16.2%, better than the industry average of 14.8%. This highlights the company’s efficiency in utilizing shareholders’ funds.
Also, the return on invested capital (ROIC) has been increasing over the last few quarters as the company raised its capital investment over the same time frame, reflecting NDAQ’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income. ROIC in the trailing 12 months was 7.3%, better than the industry average of 6.7%.
Key Points to Note for NDAQ
Nasdaq’s growth strategy focuses on generating more revenues from high-growth Market Technology and Information Services segments, forward R&D spending on higher-growth products, expansion of its Anti-Financial Crime clientele and innovations.
Nasdaq remains focused on improving growth via organic means. The company thus expects growth from its index and analytics businesses, followed by moderate growth in its exchange data products across U.S. and Nordic equities.
Nasdaq continues to expect 2025 revenue growth within the medium-term outlook for both Capital Access Platforms and Financial Technology, with Capital Access Platforms at or slightly above the high end of the range, coming from continuous trends in index growth and slightly better-than-expected performance in data and listings within FinTech.
Nasdaq also expects Financial Crime Management Technology in the range of mid-20s, Regulatory Technology at the High single/low double digits, and with Capital Markets Technology within its range of high single to low double digits. It expects data and listings to grow within the medium-term outlook of low single digits in 2025, and Index revenues to grow above the medium-term outlook of mid-to-high single digits in 2025.
Nasdaq has grown meaningfully over the years through a number of strategic expansions. These acquisitions have helped the company gain direct access to the Canadian equities market, expand its technology offering, and improve its market surveillance techniques.
Nasdaq boasts a healthy balance sheet and cash position, along with modest operating cash flow from its diverse business model.
Conclusion
Nasdaq is set to grow on impressive organic growth, an increasing on-trading revenue base and strategic buyouts to capitalize on market opportunities. Nasdaq’s focus on Market Technology and Information Services businesses helps explore vast opportunities through its developmental strategies.
NDAQ’s dividend story is impressive. It has steadily increased its dividend each year and will continue to do so to achieve a dividend payout ratio of 35-38% by 2027.
Higher return on capital, favorable growth estimates, and attractive valuations should continue to benefit NDAQ over the long term.
Investors should refrain from buying this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock now, given its premium valuation. Instead, they should wait for a better entry point to optimize returns. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"
Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
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NDAQ Stock Near 52-Week High: A Signal for Investors to Hold Tight?

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. ICE has been trading above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA), signaling a short-term bullish trend. Its share price, as of Dec. 18, 2025, was $160.07, down 15.4% from its 52-week high of $189.35.
The 50-day SMA is a key indicator for traders and analysts to identify support and resistance levels. It is considered particularly important as this is the first marker of an uptrend or downtrend.
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With a market capitalization of $91.62 billion, the average volume of shares traded in the last three months was 3.8 million.
ICE Shares are Affordable
Intercontinental shares are trading at a forward price-to-earnings of 21.42X, lower than the industry average of 24.1X. Its pricing, at a discount to the industry average, gives a better entry point to investors.
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Price Performance of ICE
Shares of Intercontinental Exchange have gained 6.5% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 8.7%.
Intercontinental has outperformed its peer, OTC Markets Group Inc. OTCM, which has lost 1.9% in the past year. Meanwhile, shares of CME Group Inc. CME and Nasdaq, Inc. NDAQ have gained 11.6% and 21.9%, respectively, in the past year.
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ICE’s Growth Projection Encourages
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intercontinental Exchange’s 2025 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.6%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $9.88 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 6.4%.
The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings per share and revenues indicates an increase of 8.5% and 5.8%, respectively, from the corresponding 2025 estimates.
Average Target Price for ICE Suggests Upside
Based on short-term price targets offered by 18 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $191.07 per share. The average suggests a potential 18.7% upside from the last closing price.
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Factors Acting in Favor of ICE Stock
ICE’s top line is poised to improve on strength in global data services and index business, growth in pricing and reference data business, and strength in ICE Global Network offering, solid desktop, feeds, and derivatives analytics. The company has been achieving expense synergies from strategic acquisitions, which have also strengthened its portfolio and expanded its presence.
ICE boasts the largest mortgage network across the United States and thus remains well-positioned to benefit from accelerated digitization in the residential mortgage industry.
Continued adoption of digital solutions, MSP mortgage servicing system revenues and default management revenues are expected to drive Mortgage Technology’s revenues. In the fourth quarter of 2025, ICE expects revenues of Mortgage Technology to remain at the level of the third quarter of 2025, primarily driven by Mr. Cooper's acquisition of Flagstar and customers resetting their minimums on Encompass. ICE expects these items to largely be offset by revenues from new customers coming online. For 2025, the company expects total revenue growth in the Mortgage Technology revenues in the low-to-mid single digits.
ICE continuously engages in strategic investments supported by a healthy and minimal risk-based balance sheet, which also offers stability and buoyancy over the medium to long term.
Risks for ICE
However, operating expenses have been increasing over the last several years, weighing on margin expansion. With continuous growth initiatives like product launches and technology upgrades, we believe that expenses are likely to remain elevated in the near term.
Though the debt balance declined, its leverage, as well as times interest earned, compares unfavorably with the industry average.
Conclusion
ICE is poised for growth, banking on the strength of its compelling portfolio and expansive risk-management services, which also ensure revenue flow, as well as strategic buyouts, a solid balance sheet, and effective capital deployment. Its dividend history is impressive. It has more than doubled its dividends in the last six years.
Favorable growth estimates, as well as attractive valuations, should continue to benefit ICE over the long term.
It is, therefore, wise to hold on to this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"
Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

ICE Stock Trades Above 50-Day SMA: What Should Investors Do?

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. MKTX just revealed a major milestone: it has surpassed $1 trillion in emerging markets (EM) trading volume so far in 2025. This huge figure reflects cumulative activity across both hard currency and local currency EM bond markets on its platform.
The company now operates in 30 local currency markets and more than 100 hard currency markets, serving more than 1,500 institutional clients in about 90 global markets. Importantly, after launching a fully electronic workflow for Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) in June 2025, MarketAxess now covers the whole J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Index, a key benchmark for EM debt.
MarketAxess also reported strong underlying growth: its record average daily volume (ADV) in emerging markets trading is around $5 billion, up about 16% year over year. Both local markets and hard currency volumes contributed to this increase. Notable gains in core channels like client-initiated, portfolio trading and dealer-initiated activity are supporting numbers.
Hitting the $1 trillion mark shows that MarketAxess’ EM business has scaled tremendously in what has traditionally been a fragmented and less electronically traded segment of the debt markets. Technology enabling full index coverage and rising volumes enhances liquidity and transparency for institutional traders, positioning MarketAxess as a key infrastructure provider as emerging markets gain investor interest.
This strengthens MKTX’s broader revenue base at a time when fixed-income electronic trading is evolving rapidly. It is also expanding its dealer business and rolling out tools for sell-side traders and continues to diversify beyond core fixed-income trading.
MKTX’s Peers Are Also Expanding
CME Group CME is pushing growth on multiple fronts, including international expansion, new product rollouts, retail-focused initiatives and ongoing technology upgrades. A key step is its plan to introduce round-the-clock trading for cryptocurrency futures and options by early next year. These crypto contracts will trade continuously on the CME Globex electronic platform, extending access beyond traditional market hours.
Larger rival Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. ICE is also broadening its footprint through targeted investments, platform innovation and new service offerings. The company is sharpening its focus on sustainability, data services and emerging markets, with ICE GreenTrace expected to debut later this year.
MarketAxess’ Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of MarketAxess have declined 21.8% in the past year against the industry’s growth of 38.8%.
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From a valuation standpoint, MarketAxess trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22.93X, higher than the industry average. MKTX carries a Value Score of D.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MarketAxess’ 2025 earnings implies a 1.7% increase year over year and a further 7.5% jump in 2026.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CME Group Inc.

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