CME Group announced that its Board of Directors approved two initiatives to return capital to shareholders, including a 2024 annual variable dividend of $5.80 per share. This dividend amounts to approximately $2.1 billion and is payable on January 16, 2025, to shareholders of record on December 27, 2024. This represents a 10.5% increase over last year's annual variable payout.
In addition to the dividend, the Board authorized a share repurchase program of up to $3 billion of CME Group Class A common stock, subject to market conditions. This flexible program, combined with the existing quarterly and annual variable dividend structure, allows CME Group to efficiently return capital and address diverse shareholder interests. The share repurchase plan does not have an end date and does not obligate CME Group to repurchase any specific dollar amount or number of shares.
Including the announced variable dividend and the previously declared fourth-quarter 2024 dividend of $1.15 per share, the total yield for CME Group dividends announced during 2024 is 4.9%, an 8% increase from dividends declared in 2023. The company has paid over $28 billion in dividends since adopting the annual variable dividend structure in early 2012, demonstrating a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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