CME Group to Launch Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 Options
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 11 2026
0mins
CME Group announced that it will launch financially-settled Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 options on June 29, pending regulatory review. These new Micro options contracts will be one-tenth the size of their E-mini counterparts with short-dated Monday through Friday expiries. In addition, the contracts will be financially settled, eliminating the additional operational processes tied to underlying futures delivery at expiration.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy CME?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on CME
Wall Street analysts forecast CME stock price to rise
10 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
4 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 252.540
Low
209.00
Averages
285.90
High
320.00
Current: 252.540
Low
209.00
Averages
285.90
High
320.00
About CME
CME Group Inc. provides a derivatives marketplace. The Company enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and over the counter (OTC) markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data. It exchanges offer a range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange (FX), energy, agricultural products and metals. It offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and FX trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates central counterparty clearing provider, CME Clearing. Its products provide a means for hedging, speculation and asset allocation related to the risks associated with, among other things, interest rate sensitive instruments, and changes in the prices of agricultural, energy and metal commodities. It provides clearing and settlement services for a range of exchange-traded futures and options on futures contracts and OTC derivatives.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Lawsuit Background: CME Group has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and its chairman, alleging that the approval of prediction markets platform Kalshi and crypto exchange Coinbase to list perpetual futures violates the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, asserting these contracts should be classified as swaps.
- Legal Basis: The lawsuit claims that the CFTC previously accepted CME's view on the nature of these contracts, arguing that the regulator's approval was arbitrary and capricious, and seeks to void the May 29 approval allowing Kalshi to list a bitcoin perpetual future.
- Market Reaction: Following the lawsuit announcement, both CME Group and Coinbase stocks fell by 2.1%, indicating market concerns regarding the potential negative impact of the lawsuit on the future operations of both companies.
- Regulatory Response: A CFTC spokesperson described the lawsuit as
See More
- Lawsuit Background: The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and its chairman, Michael Selig, challenging the CFTC's approval of perpetual futures listings by Kalshi and Coinbase, arguing that this decision violates the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reforms.
- Competitive Injury Claims: CME's complaint alleges that the CFTC's decision inflicts 'textbook competitive injury' by allowing Kalshi and Coinbase to compete for its retail customers, resulting in a decline in share prices for CME and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), reflecting investor concerns about competitive threats to existing exchanges.
- Market Reaction: According to market data provider CryptoQuant, trading volume for perpetual futures grew by 29% last year to $61.7 trillion, indicating a new demand from investors seeking to profit from cryptocurrency volatility, and CME's lawsuit may impact this growth trend.
- Regulatory and Innovation Dynamics: A CFTC spokesperson described CME's lawsuit as 'frivolous' and emphasized that CME should compete in the marketplace rather than resorting to legal battles, highlighting that competition and innovation are fundamental to vibrant financial markets.
See More
- Rate Hike Expectations Rise: Fed Chairman Warsh emphasized the importance of combating inflation during a press conference, leading to a rapid increase in the probability of a rate hike at the July meeting to about one-third, indicating heightened investor expectations for tighter monetary policy.
- Yield Surge: The 2-year Treasury yield soared during Warsh's remarks, reflecting the market's reaction to the Fed potentially adopting a stricter policy, significantly boosting investor confidence in future interest rate trajectories.
- Market Reaction Volatile: Warsh's tough rhetoric caused a sharp decline in stock markets, although sentiment improved later due to positive developments in the Iran war and expectations of lower energy costs, highlighting investors' sensitivity to policy changes.
- Optimistic Inflation Outlook: Despite inflation indicators being at multi-year highs, Warsh's comments conveyed confidence in easing inflation pressures, with core inflation rising only 0.2% in May, potentially providing greater flexibility for future monetary policy.
See More
- Rating Upgrade: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CME Group from Market Perform to Outperform, as analyst Chris Allen noted that fears regarding new perpetual futures products eroding its business appear overblown, indicating a renewed confidence in CME's market position.
- Market Positioning: With 85%-90% of CME's business coming from institutional clients and perpetual futures primarily targeting retail markets, this structure allows CME to maintain a relatively stable business foundation against the backdrop of high leverage in overseas markets, thereby mitigating potential risks.
- Volume Growth: CME's June average daily volume reached 31.1 million, representing a 21% year-over-year increase, while open interest rose 13% year-over-year, suggesting a healthy volume trajectory in the coming months and bolstering investor confidence.
- Market Reaction: Although CME stock rose 0.2% in Thursday morning trading, KBW's Outperform rating contrasts with SA Quant's Hold rating, reflecting differing views among investors regarding CME's future performance and highlighting market sentiment divergence.
See More
- Apple Rating Reaffirmed: Bank of America reiterates Apple as a buy, believing that price increases are already reflected in the stock, anticipating that rising memory costs will force Apple to raise prices, impacting future earnings performance.
- Nice Upgrade: DA Davidson upgrades Nice from neutral to buy, maintaining a $110 price target, arguing that concerns about AI disruption are overblown, suggesting a more optimistic outlook that could boost the company's stock price.
- Immix Biopharma Initiation: Bank of America initiates coverage of Immix Biopharma with a buy rating and a $27 price target, citing the company's differentiated product offerings as a significant growth driver.
- Salesforce Upgrade: Monness Crespi Hardt upgrades Salesforce from neutral to buy with a $200 price target, based on its depressed valuation, strong cash flow generation, and support for customer transformation, which are expected to drive stock price increases.
See More
- Rating Upgrade: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CME Group's rating from 'Market Perform' to 'Outperform' while maintaining a $305 price target, indicating a potential 21% upside from Wednesday's close, reflecting analysts' confidence in the company's future performance.
- Market Pressure Analysis: Analyst Chris Allen noted that the recent stock price decline is primarily due to excessive market concerns over perpetual futures risks, while CME's low retail exposure and index licenses in equity products suggest that these risks are overblown, presenting a buying opportunity for investors at current low prices.
- Legal Action Plan: CME Group plans to sue the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over its approval of perpetual futures contracts, with CEO Terry Duffy emphasizing that this action is not personal but a legal necessity, demonstrating the company's firm stance in the face of regulatory challenges.
- Analyst Consensus: According to LSEG data, 8 out of 17 analysts covering CME Group have rated the stock as 'Buy' or 'Strong Buy', reflecting a generally positive outlook on the company despite its nearly 8% decline year-to-date.
See More











