ARCC vs. CME: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ARCC and CME, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
CME’s market capitalization of 99.71 billion USD is significantly greater than ARCC’s 15.56 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
ARCC’s beta of 0.73 points to significantly higher volatility compared to CME (beta: 0.48), suggesting ARCC has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | ARCC | CME |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Ares Capital Corporation | CME Group Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Asset Management | Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges |
| CEO | Kort Schnabel | Terrence A. Duffy |
| Price | 22.41 USD | 276.7 USD |
| Market Cap | 15.56 billion USD | 99.71 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.73 | 0.48 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | October 5, 2004 | December 6, 2002 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ARCC and CME by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ARCC
11.03%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 34.25%
- Q3
- 18.22%
- Median
- 11.24%
- Q1
- 5.81%
- Min
- -5.72%
ARCC’s Return on Equity of 11.03% is on par with the norm for the Asset Management industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
CME
13.26%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 26.26%
- Q3
- 23.14%
- Median
- 14.33%
- Q1
- 11.12%
- Min
- -0.64%
CME’s Return on Equity of 13.26% is on par with the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
ARCC
208.60%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 20.06%
- Median
- 8.68%
- Q1
- 3.13%
- Min
- -16.42%
ARCC’s Return on Invested Capital of 208.60% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Asset Management industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.
CME
8.70%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 18.31%
- Q3
- 14.86%
- Median
- 11.07%
- Q1
- 6.75%
- Min
- 4.04%
CME’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.70% is in line with the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
ARCC
67.48%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 91.66%
- Q3
- 57.81%
- Median
- 29.48%
- Q1
- 15.70%
- Min
- -27.65%
A Net Profit Margin of 67.48% places ARCC in the upper quartile for the Asset Management industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
CME
57.71%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 39.08%
- Q3
- 31.63%
- Median
- 23.20%
- Q1
- 18.09%
- Min
- -0.88%
CME’s Net Profit Margin of 57.71% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin
ARCC
91.13%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 99.76%
- Q3
- 78.28%
- Median
- 34.76%
- Q1
- 21.75%
- Min
- -48.25%
An Operating Profit Margin of 91.13% places ARCC in the upper quartile for the Asset Management industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
CME
64.92%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 53.68%
- Q3
- 40.45%
- Median
- 31.81%
- Q1
- 24.66%
- Min
- 9.71%
CME’s Operating Profit Margin of 64.92% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ARCC | CME |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 11.03% | 13.26% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.08% | 2.30% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 208.60% | 8.70% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 67.48% | 57.71% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 91.13% | 64.92% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 95.92% | 86.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ARCC
--
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 12.44
- Q3
- 5.76
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.01
Current Ratio data for ARCC is currently unavailable.
CME
1.02
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.60
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.62
CME’s Current Ratio of 1.02 aligns with the median group of the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ARCC
--
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 2.62
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.34
- Min
- 0.01
Debt-to-Equity Ratio data for ARCC is currently unavailable.
CME
0.13
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.80
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.04
Falling into the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, CME’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.13 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ARCC
3.77
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.30
- Q3
- 6.30
- Median
- 2.71
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- -6.91
ARCC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.77 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Asset Management industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
CME
25.08
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 27.44
- Q3
- 22.05
- Median
- 10.08
- Q1
- 6.79
- Min
- 1.01
CME’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 25.08 is in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ARCC | CME |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.02 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.02 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.13 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.02 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -0.35 | 0.40 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 3.77 | 25.08 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ARCC and CME. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ARCC
8.57%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 26.09%
- Q3
- 11.60%
- Median
- 6.37%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- 0.00%
ARCC’s Dividend Yield of 8.57% is consistent with its peers in the Asset Management industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
CME
3.83%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 3.86%
- Q3
- 1.44%
- Median
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.73%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.83%, CME offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ARCC
81.85%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 1,034.88%
- Q3
- 127.70%
- Median
- 75.15%
- Q1
- 34.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
ARCC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 81.85% is within the typical range for the Asset Management industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
CME
105.42%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 106.40%
- Q3
- 44.44%
- Median
- 31.97%
- Q1
- 29.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
CME’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 105.42% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ARCC | CME |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 8.57% | 3.83% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 81.85% | 105.42% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ARCC
10.53
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 38.72
- Q3
- 23.40
- Median
- 11.45
- Q1
- 8.80
- Min
- 1.54
ARCC’s P/E Ratio of 10.53 is within the middle range for the Asset Management industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
CME
27.44
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 41.71
- Q3
- 40.17
- Median
- 37.47
- Q1
- 30.61
- Min
- 16.74
In the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, CME’s P/E Ratio of 27.44 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ARCC
-7.92
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 6.38
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.02
ARCC has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -7.92. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.
CME
4.25
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 4.54
- Q3
- 4.09
- Median
- 4.06
- Q1
- 3.33
- Min
- 2.36
A Forward PEG Ratio of 4.25 places CME in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ARCC
7.30
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.75
- Q3
- 7.92
- Median
- 4.87
- Q1
- 3.51
- Min
- 0.02
ARCC’s P/S Ratio of 7.30 aligns with the market consensus for the Asset Management industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
CME
15.87
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 15.75
- Q3
- 12.42
- Median
- 9.37
- Q1
- 6.34
- Min
- 1.69
With a P/S Ratio of 15.87, CME trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ARCC
1.11
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 5.33
- Q3
- 2.75
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.00
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Asset Management industry.
CME
3.68
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 8.57
- Q3
- 8.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 3.69
- Min
- 1.19
CME’s P/B Ratio of 3.68 is in the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ARCC | CME |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 10.53 | 27.44 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -7.92 | 4.25 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.30 | 15.87 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.11 | 3.68 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -6.47 | 26.06 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 8.15 | 20.45 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 7.00 | 16.19 |