DailyIQ
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DailyIQ
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CMECME Group Inc.

Earnings Release

CME Group Inc.'s latest earnings press release, filed Oct 21, 2026, scored line by line for tone, guidance and what changed since the prior release.

No guidance given17 lines scoredFiled Oct 21, 2026SEC 8-K · Exhibit 99
Release Tone
72
UPBEAT
GuidanceNo guidance givenWhat this release does to the company's outlook
Tone change▲ 6.1pointsvs the prior release (Jul 22, 2026)
Hedging language0.65per 100 words▼ 0.01 vs prior
New this quarter9of 17 linesWording that was not in the prior release

The lines that matter most

Ranked by how material, how strongly worded and how new each sentence is.

  1. 1

    "Our average daily volume reached 29.4 million contracts, the highest Q3 ADV on record.

    New this quarter
  2. 2

    Q3 2026 average daily volume (ADV) climbed to a third-quarter record of 29.4 million contracts, and non-U.S. ADV reached a third-quarter high of 9 million contracts.

    New this quarter
  3. 3

    With double-digit volume growth across all six asset classes, Q3 was our second highest quarter ever for revenue and adjusted net income.

    New this quarter
  4. 4

    Market data revenue totaled a record $243 million for third-quarter 2026, an increase of 20%.

  5. 5

    We launched several innovative new products and generated a new high of $100 billion in average daily capital efficiencies.

    New this quarter
  6. 6

    The company returned nearly $1 billion to shareholders during the quarter, with $465 million in regular quarterly dividends and $524 million in share repurchases .

    New this quarter
  7. 7

    We also made strong progress in our cloud migration, making CME Group the only exchange to offer clients the choice of both co-location and cloud-managed services to expand access to our markets for years to come."

    New this quarter
  8. 8

    CME Group Inc. Reports Highest Q3 Revenue on Record for Q3 2026

    New this quarter

Release by release

Tone and guidance for the last 3 earnings releases.

  1. Oct 21, 2026No guidance given72.2+6.1
  2. Jul 22, 2026No guidance given66.1-10.5
  3. Apr 22, 2026No guidance given76.7

Bar length: tone on a 50–82 scale.

The release, annotated

1Highlight rankPositive toneNeutralNegative toneDimmed text: low materiality
Results
8CME Group Inc. Reports Highest Q3 Revenue on Record for Q3 2026
Double-digit revenue and net income growth
The company reported revenue of $1.7 billion and operating income of $1.1 billion for the third quarter of 2026.
Net income was $1.0 billion and diluted earnings per common share were $2.89.
On an adjusted basis, operating income was $1.2 billion, net income was $1.1 billion and diluted earnings per common share were $3.02.
Financial results presented on an adjusted basis for the third quarter of 2026 and 2025 exclude certain items, which are detailed in the reconciliation of non-GAAP results.
Management commentary
"As uncertainty intensified in Q3, clients turned to CME Group in record numbers to manage risk and capitalize on opportunities," said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy.
1"Our average daily volume reached 29.4 million contracts, the highest Q3 ADV on record.
3With double-digit volume growth across all six asset classes, Q3 was our second highest quarter ever for revenue and adjusted net income.
5We launched several innovative new products and generated a new high of $100 billion in average daily capital efficiencies.
7We also made strong progress in our cloud migration, making CME Group the only exchange to offer clients the choice of both co-location and cloud-managed services to expand access to our markets for years to come."
Results
2Q3 2026 average daily volume (ADV) climbed to a third-quarter record of 29.4 million contracts, and non-U.S. ADV reached a third-quarter high of 9 million contracts.
Clearing and tr ansaction fees revenue for third-quarter 2026 totaled $1.4 billion.
The total average rate per contract was $0.679.
4Market data revenue totaled a record $243 million for third-quarter 2026, an increase of 20%.
Capital return
As of September 30, 2026, th e company had $2.4 billion in cash (including $225 million deposited with Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, which is included in other current assets) and $3.4 billion of debt.
6The company returned nearly $1 billion to shareholders during the quarter, with $465 million in regular quarterly dividends and $524 million in share repurchases .
33 boilerplate lines (safe-harbor disclaimer, contacts, call details) are set aside.

How this is scored

  • Source: the press release CME Group Inc. filed with the SEC as Exhibit 99 to Form 8-K (Item 2.02). Financial statements and boilerplate are set aside.
  • Tone: a financial sentiment model scores each sentence 0 to 100; the release score weights sentences by how material they are.
  • Materiality and guidance: a classifier judges whether each sentence is specific information, and what the release does to the outlook.
  • New this quarter: wording that does not appear in the prior release.
  • Hedging: uncertainty words (may, could, approximately, headwinds and similar) per 100 words of narrative.

These scores describe the release's language. They are not a forecast or a recommendation. Read the original filing

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