CME Payout Ratio: current value, 10-year range and year-by-year history
Cash & Leverage
Payout Ratio History
CME Payout Ratio by year
Yearly range of CME’s payout ratio from 2016 to 2026. Over the full period it ranged from 43.0% to 119.6%, averaging 95.4%.
| Year | Low | Average | High | Year-end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 94.0% | 95.3% | 96.7% | 96.7% |
| 2025 | 43.0% | 82.3% | 98.9% | 43.0% |
| 2024 | 97.2% | 101.4% | 104.1% | 104.1% |
| 2023 | 95.6% | 99.8% | 102.8% | 102.8% |
| 2022 | 96.8% | 99.4% | 102.9% | 102.9% |
| 2021 | 89.8% | 102.4% | 114.1% | 108.1% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | 77.7% | 84.0% | 84.0% |
| 2019 | 75.6% | 79.0% | 82.2% | 81.2% |
| 2018 | 68.9% | 88.5% | 101.9% | 68.9% |
| 2017 | 112.8% | 116.6% | 119.6% | 118.9% |
| 2016 | 118.0% | 118.1% | 118.1% | 118.0% |
Get notified when CME Payout Ratio crosses a threshold
Free — one alert setup, notifications by push, Telegram, or Discord.
What fraction of free cash flow is paid out as dividends. More reliable than the earnings-based payout ratio because cash is harder to manipulate through accounting choices. Low ratio = room to grow the dividend and absorb an earnings dip. High ratio = dividend is consuming most of the cash generated.
TTM Dividends Per Share / (TTM FCF ÷ Shares) × 100%A steadily rising FCF payout ratio warrants scrutiny only if FCF itself is flat or falling — that means the company is paying out a larger slice of shrinking cash. A high but stable ratio in a capital-light business (e.g. consumer staples) can be perfectly sustainable.
- FCF can be lumpy: large one-off capex or working-capital swings distort a single year. Look at the multi-year trend rather than any single data point.
- Utilities and REITs naturally sustain 60–90% FCF payout ratios; industrials and tech companies typically run 20–50%. Always compare to sector context.
Unlock 10y, 15y, 20y, and 30y history with peer comparison and CSV export.