CME vs. ICE

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CME Group Inc. (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE).

Performance

CME vs. ICE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CME Group Inc. (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CME vs. ICE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CME CME Group Inc.	10.74%	19.83%	15.41%	31.32%	-22.89%	29.47%	-6.34%	9.67%	32.15%	32.35%
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.	-2.58%	9.92%	17.46%	27.12%	-23.91%	19.94%	26.15%	24.47%	8.11%	26.60%

Fundamentals

Market Cap CME : $106.39B ICE : $89.83B
EPS CME : $11.23 ICE : $5.76
PE Ratio CME : 26.31 ICE : 27.29
PEG Ratio CME : 2.30 ICE : 3.29
PS Ratio CME : 16.32 ICE : 7.14
PB Ratio CME : 3.70 ICE : 3.11
Total Revenue (TTM) CME : $6.52B ICE : $12.64B
Gross Profit (TTM) CME : $5.61B ICE : $7.82B
EBITDA (TTM) CME : $5.72B ICE : $6.66B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CME achieves a 10.74% return, which is significantly higher than ICE's -2.58% return. Over the past 10 years, CME has outperformed ICE with an annualized return of 16.19%, while ICE has yielded a comparatively lower 14.25% annualized return.

CME

• 1D: -0.75%
• 1M: -5.35%
• YTD: 10.74%
• 6M: 12.44%
• 1Y: 15.59%
• 3Y*: 20.63%
• 5Y*: 12.05%
• 10Y*: 16.19%

ICE

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -3.86%
• YTD: -2.58%
• 6M: -6.07%
• 1Y: -7.75%
• 3Y*: 16.13%
• 5Y*: 7.99%
• 10Y*: 14.25%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CME vs. ICE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CME

CME Risk / Return Rank: 67
CME Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
CME Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
CME Omega Ratio Rank: 60
CME Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
CME Martin Ratio Rank: 70

ICE

ICE Risk / Return Rank: 26
ICE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
ICE Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
ICE Omega Ratio Rank: 23
ICE Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
ICE Martin Ratio Rank: 29

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CME vs. ICE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CME Group Inc. (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CME	ICE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.80	-0.35	+1.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.14	-0.32	+1.46
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	0.96	+0.19
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.67	-0.40	+2.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.30	-0.79	+4.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CME vs. ICE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CME Sharpe Ratio is 0.80, which is higher than the ICE Sharpe Ratio of -0.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CME and ICE, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CME	ICE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80	-0.35	+1.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.62	0.39	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.69	0.64	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.62	0.44	+0.17

Correlation

The correlation between CME and ICE is 0.59, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

CME vs. ICE - Dividend Comparison

CME's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.79%, more than ICE's 1.25% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CME CME Group Inc.	3.79%	1.83%	4.48%	4.58%	5.05%	3.00%	3.24%	2.74%	2.42%	4.20%	4.90%	5.41%
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.	1.25%	1.19%	1.21%	1.31%	1.48%	0.97%	1.04%	1.19%	1.27%	1.13%	1.21%	1.13%

Drawdowns

CME vs. ICE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CME drawdown since its inception was -77.50%, roughly equal to the maximum ICE drawdown of -73.94%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CME and ICE.

Drawdown Indicators

	CME	ICE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-77.50%	-73.94%	-3.56%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.13%	-22.53%	+12.40%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.74%	-34.32%	+2.58%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.36%	-34.32%	-3.04%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.37%	-15.79%	+8.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.77%	-16.46%	-4.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.14%	11.33%	-6.19%

Volatility

CME vs. ICE - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for CME Group Inc. (CME) is 5.77%, while Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) has a volatility of 6.73%. This indicates that CME experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ICE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CME	ICE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.77%	6.73%	-0.96%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.89%	18.34%	-4.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.52%	22.40%	-2.88%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.58%	20.83%	-1.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.70%	22.19%	+1.51%

Financials

CME vs. ICE - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between CME Group Inc. and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CME - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CME Group Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.41B and revenue of 1.65B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 85.4%.

ICE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.50B and revenue of 3.14B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 79.8%.

CME - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CME Group Inc. reported an operating income of 1.02B and revenue of 1.65B, resulting in an operating margin of 61.8%.

ICE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.20B and revenue of 3.14B, resulting in an operating margin of 38.3%.

CME - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CME Group Inc. reported a net income of 1.17B and revenue of 1.65B, resulting in a net margin of 70.8%.

ICE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported a net income of 840.00M and revenue of 3.14B, resulting in a net margin of 26.8%.