greeksoup/ stock research

CME Group Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 February 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year adjusted EPS $11.20 vs $10.26: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS was $11.20 against $10.26; GAAP diluted EPS was $11.16 against $9.67. Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders was $4,036.7 million against $3,692.2 million. Source
  • Fourth-quarter volume reached 27.4 million contracts: Fourth-quarter ADV was 27.4 million contracts, up from 25.5 million a year earlier and 25.3 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Average rate per contract rose to $0.707: Average rate per contract was $0.707 in Q4 against $0.701 a year earlier and $0.702 in Q3. Clearing and transaction fees were $1,327.9 million against $1,232.3 million. Source
  • Full-year market data revenue up 13%: Full-year market data and information services revenue was $803.1 million against $710.2 million; Q4 was $208.0 million against $181.6 million. Source
  • Year-end cash about $4.6 billion: Cash at December 31, 2025 was about $4.6 billion, including $200 million deposited with FICC, against $3.4 billion of debt. Source
  • Margin efficiencies of $80 billion in Q4: Management said it provided $80 billion in average daily margin efficiencies to market users in Q4 and plans to further increase them. Source

“Last year, CME Group delivered the best year in our history and our fourth consecutive year of record revenue, adjusted operating income, adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share”

Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • Ended: OSTTRA amortization is reported only for activity before its divestment. Source
  • New: U.S. Treasury clearing and prediction markets are named as access initiatives. The previous release did not name either. Source
  • New: A footnote shows amortization at FanDuel Prediction Markets Holdings LLC, which does not appear in the previous release's footnote. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose to $1.65 billion: Fourth-quarter revenues were $1,648.7 million against $1,525.3 million a year earlier; operating income was $1,019.6 million against $947.1 million. Source
  • Full-year revenue rose 6% to $6.5 billion: Full-year revenues were $6,520.6 million against $6,130.1 million; operating income was $4,229.5 million against $3,931.5 million. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS $11.20 vs $10.26: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS was $11.20 against $10.26; GAAP diluted EPS was $11.16 against $9.67. Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders was $4,036.7 million against $3,692.2 million. Source
  • Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS $2.77 against $2.52: Fourth-quarter adjusted diluted EPS was $2.77 against $2.52; GAAP diluted EPS was $3.24 against $2.40. Adjusted net income was $1,010.4 million against $918.9 million. Source

Volumes and regional activity

  • Fourth-quarter volume reached 27.4 million contracts: Fourth-quarter ADV was 27.4 million contracts, up from 25.5 million a year earlier and 25.3 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Full-year volume and sector growth: Full-year ADV was 28.1 million contracts; management reported 12% growth in commodities trading and a 5% increase in financials. Source
  • Non-U.S. volume rose 9% in Q4: Non-U.S. ADV was 8.3 million contracts, up 9% from Q4 2024; Asia rose 18% and EMEA rose 6%. Source

“In a risk-always-on environment, client demand for our products and services generated record average daily volume of 28.1 million contracts, including 12% growth in commodities trading and a 5% increase in financials.”

Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Pricing, fees and market data

  • Average rate per contract rose to $0.707: Average rate per contract was $0.707 in Q4 against $0.701 a year earlier and $0.702 in Q3. Clearing and transaction fees were $1,327.9 million against $1,232.3 million. Source
  • Full-year market data revenue up 13%: Full-year market data and information services revenue was $803.1 million against $710.2 million; Q4 was $208.0 million against $181.6 million. Source
  • Third-quarter market data revenue was $203 million: The previous release reported third-quarter market data revenue of $203 million; the current release shows $208.0 million for Q4 2025.

Costs and non-operating items

  • Deferred compensation offset in income: The Q4 deferred compensation liability change was $2.6 million; the company said it has an equal and offsetting change in investment income, so net income is unaffected. Source
  • Adjusted results exclude listed items: Adjusted expenses were $543.4 million in Q4 against $520.2 million. Excluded items include restructuring, amortization of purchased intangibles, and $19.6 million of strategic transaction costs. Source
  • Q4 GAAP net income $1.18 billion: Q4 net income was $1,182.9 million against $874.6 million, with an income tax provision of $395.5 million against $222.0 million. Source

“Looking ahead, we're focused on further increasing the $80 billion in average daily margin efficiencies we provided our market users in Q4, as well as expanding access through initiatives such as U.S. Treasury clearing, 24/7 cryptocurrency trading and prediction markets.”

Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Year-end cash about $4.6 billion: Cash at December 31, 2025 was about $4.6 billion, including $200 million deposited with FICC, against $3.4 billion of debt. Source
  • Dividends about $3.9 billion in 2025: The company paid about $3.9 billion of dividends in 2025. Source
  • Nearly $30 billion returned since 2012: Dividends since the variable dividend policy began in early 2012 total nearly $30 billion. Source
  • Cash was $2.6 billion at September 30: The previous release reported cash of $2.6 billion at September 30, 2025, including $200 million deposited with FICC.

Strategy and access initiatives

  • Margin efficiencies of $80 billion in Q4: Management said it provided $80 billion in average daily margin efficiencies to market users in Q4 and plans to further increase them. Source
  • Access initiatives named for expansion: Management named U.S. Treasury clearing, 24/7 cryptocurrency trading and prediction markets as initiatives to expand access. Source
  • FanDuel partnership cited in Q3 release: The previous release cited a new partnership with FanDuel and 24/7 cryptocurrency futures and options trading among access initiatives.

Demand and quarterly comparisons

  • Q4 revenue cited as second-highest: Management said Q4 revenue was the second-highest quarterly revenue in company history and Q4 volume the highest fourth quarter on record. Source
  • Demand attributed to risk-always-on environment: Management attributed client demand to a risk-always-on environment and cited commodities and financials growth within full-year volume. Source
  • Third-quarter ADV second-highest for a third quarter: The previous release said Q3 2025 ADV was the second-highest third-quarter ADV, with adjusted EPS on par with the prior-year third quarter.

Coming up, as management said on 4 February 2026

  • Margin efficiency focus continues: Management said it is focused on further increasing margin efficiencies provided in Q4. Source
  • Access initiatives listed for expansion: Management listed U.S. Treasury clearing, 24/7 cryptocurrency trading and prediction markets as initiatives to expand access. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Average daily volume, Q4 2025 Source27.4 million contracts
Non-U.S. average daily volume, Q4 2025 Source8.3 million contracts
Full-year average daily volume, 2025 Source28.1 million contracts
Average rate per contract, Q4 2025 Source$0.707

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The previous release cited a new FanDuel partnership and 24/7 trading in cryptocurrency futures and options; the current release lists 24/7 cryptocurrency trading again as an initiative.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.