CHICAGO, May 24 (Reuters) – CME Group on Thursday announced
a five-for-one split of its common stock, hoping to attract new
investors.
The futures exchange operator, which owns the 164-year-old
Chicago Board of Trade and offers trading on assets from oil to
interest rates, said the split would take the form of a 400
percent stock dividend to be paid on July 20 to shareholders of
record on July 10.
“We believe that splitting CME Group stock will appeal to a
broader, more diverse mix of investor portfolios,” Executive
Chairman and President Terry Duffy said in a statement. “By
making our shares attractive to more people, we have potential
to further expand the base of ownership.”
The move came after shareholders complained at the CME’s
annual meeting on Wednesday about a drop in the share price.
CME shares have sagged recently amid concerns about
lackluster trading volumes and regulatory uncertainty.
CME stock closed up $2.65 to $256.16 on Thursday. It hit a
52-week high of $304.61 on March 21.
