CME Group's Q4 profit beats as interest-rate products lift trading volume

By Arasu Kannagi Basil and Laura Matthews

(Reuters) - CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, as strong demand for its interest-rate products bolstered trading volumes to give the derivatives exchange the strongest year in its history.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes last year helped CME's average daily volume (ADV) hit a record high as customers increasingly hedged to manage their rate exposures and navigate uncertainty.

That helped CME's interest rate ADV surge 35.8% to 13.3 million contracts in the quarter, driven by record U.S. Treasury futures and options volumes.

The company has continued to benefit even amid a pause in rate hikes as customers needed to manage risk against the backdrop of diverging views about where the rates were heading.

CME Group Chief Executive Terry Duffy told analysts on a call that the exchanges' volumes are typically higher during periods of uncertainty about rates changes as is currently the case.

"I've never seen such a disparity in opinions on what the Fed may or may not do, and I believe that is a tailwind for CME Group in our rates products," Duffy said.

CME's total ADV surged 17% to 25.5 million contracts in the quarter. For 2023, it rose 5% to an annual record of 24.4 million contracts.

The demand for CME's hedging products has remained steady, driven by increased geopolitical and economic uncertainty, even as expectations grow for a soft landing for the U.S. economy.

ADV for CME's agricultural commodities products rose 25.5% from a year ago, while energy products volume jumped 18%.

Clearing and transaction fees, which make up the largest chunk of its revenue, jumped 20.7% to $1.18 billion, while total revenue surged 19.2% to $1.44 billion.

Revenue in its market data segment rose 9% in the fourth quarter to $167 million compared with the same period last year.

On an adjusted basis, CME's net income attributable to common shareholders rose to $853.8 million, or $2.37 per share, for the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with analysts' expectation of $2.28, according to LSEG data.

This was the 10th consecutive quarter of double-digit percentage growth in adjusted earnings, CME said.

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The exchange remains optimistic that transaction fee adjustments that took effect at various times earlier this year, will increase total revenue by up to 3%, should it see similar activity to 2023.

CME's share price was up 3.9% at $215.48 following the call.