CME Group Posts Record Q3 Revenue of $1.74 Billion, Net Income of $1.04 Billion

CME Group, the global derivatives exchange, posted record third-quarter revenue as higher trading volumes and increased market volatility lifted results.

CME Group said on October 23 that third-quarter revenue rose about 13% from a year earlier to $1.7373 billion from $1.5376 billion. Operating income was $1.1414 billion, while net income totaled $1.0369 billion. Diluted earnings per share were $2.89.

Adjusted operating income was $1.2055 billion, and adjusted net income came to $1.0839 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were $3.02.

Average daily volume in the third quarter reached a record 29.4 million contracts for a third quarter. Average daily volume outside the US also hit a third-quarter record of 9 million contracts.

Clearing and transaction fee revenue was $1.3781 billion. Market data revenue rose 20% from a year earlier to a record $243.1 million.

Terry Duffy, CME Group's chairman and chief executive officer, said rising market uncertainty boosted demand for risk-management trading. Trading volume posted double-digit growth across all asset classes in the third quarter, he added.

CME Group returned about $1 billion to shareholders during the third quarter through $465 million in regular dividends and $524 million in share repurchases. As of the end of September, it held $2.4 billion in cash and had $3.4 billion in debt.

Crypto-focused media outlet NewsBTC reported that CME Group posted record third-quarter revenue of $1.74 billion as it expands its cryptocurrency derivatives business.