BAC vs CME: How Bank of America and CME Group Compare (2026)
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
BAC is the larger of the two ($435.53B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (11.76x forward earnings, beta 1.17). CME is the smaller challenger ($94.88B), actually pricier on forward earnings (20.39x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
BAC vs CME: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | BAC | CME | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $435.53B | $94.88B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 11.76 | 20.39 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 14.33 | 22.40 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.17 | 0.28 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 95% of range | 41% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 1.58 | 3.57 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: BAC is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how BAC and CME affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BAC and CME share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BAC and CME exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Bank of America (BAC) do?
Bank of America is the second-largest US bank by assets, behind JPMorgan Chase. The company is one of the four mega-bank holding companies (along with JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo) and operates across four main reporting segments. Consumer Banking is the largest retail bank in the US by deposits, serving over 60 million customers through ~3,800 branches. Global Wealth and Investment Management is one of the largest US wealth managers (anchored by Merrill Lynch). Global Banking provides commercial banking, treasury services, and investment banking to corporate and institutional clients. Global Markets provides trading services across fixed income, equities, and commodities.
What does CME Group (CME) do?
CME Group operates the largest futures and options marketplace in the world, spanning six asset classes: interest rates, equity indexes, energy, agricultural commodities, metals and foreign exchange. It earns money mainly from clearing and transaction fees charged on every contract traded and cleared, plus market-data and information-services revenue, and it benefits from owning both the exchange and the clearinghouse that guarantees trades. Volumes rise with hedging demand and market volatility, which is why record average daily volume has been the main engine of recent results.
BAC vs CME: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- BAC drivers: Net interest income from deposit franchise; Investment banking and trading recovery.
- CME drivers: Record trading volumes; Interest-rate and volatility franchise.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Credit quality is the eternal bank risk; consumer and commercial credit losses cyclically. For CME, revenue is cyclical and tied to trading volumes, so a prolonged low-volatility environment can depress activity and fees.
BAC or CME: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BAC if you believe its drivers more; CME if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BAC and CME guides.
BAC vs CME: the full fundamentals
BAC. BAC trades at a modest P/E typical of large US banks. The valuation balances the durable consumer deposit franchise and capital markets recovery against credit cycle uncertainty and regulatory capital requirements. Price-to-book around 1.1x is consistent with ROE around 10%.
CME. CME posted record FY2025 revenue of about $6.5 billion and net income near $4.1 billion, then opened 2026 with record Q1 revenue of roughly $1.88 billion, up 14 percent, and adjusted EPS of $3.36. The shares trade around $240 for a market cap near $87 billion, a trailing P/E of roughly 21, with a high blended dividend yield reflecting the regular-plus-variable payout structure.
Headline figures (approximate, early 2026): BAC shows revenue (ttm) ~$100 billion, net income (ttm) ~$28 billion, eps (ttm) ~$3.50, p/e (ttm) ~13x; CME shows revenue (ttm) ~$6.7B, fy2025 revenue ~$6.5B, net income (ttm) ~$4.2B, market cap ~$87B.
The bottom line: BAC vs CME
BAC and CME are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BAC and CME exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Investing in Bank of America with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BAC fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between BAC and CME?
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Bank of America is the second-largest US bank by assets, behind JPMorgan Chase. CME Group operates the largest futures and options marketplace in the world, spanning six asset classes: interest rates, equity indexes, energy, agricultural commodities, metals and foreign exchange. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is BAC or CME the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. BAC is the larger incumbent; CME is the smaller challenger and looks pricier on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, BAC or CME?
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On forward P/E (as of July 2026), BAC trades at 11.76x and CME at 20.39x, so BAC is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both BAC and CME?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of BAC vs CME?
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BAC: Credit quality is the eternal bank risk; consumer and commercial credit losses cyclically. Interest rate cycles affect net interest income materially. Regulatory capital requirements can constrain capital return. CME: Revenue is cyclical and tied to trading volumes, so a prolonged low-volatility environment can depress activity and fees. Competition is intensifying: FMX targets U.S. Treasury and SOFR futures with LCH clearing, ICE dominates Brent energy, and Cboe leans on VIX and options flow. A newer threat is regulated perpetual futures from crypto venues such as Coinbase and Kalshi, which the market fears could eventually breach the regulatory moat protecting high-margin retail products like 0DTE options. The stock also trades at a premium exchange multiple, so any volume slowdown or fee compression can weigh on the shares.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BAC or CME; figures are approximate and dated (as of July 2026). Verify current data before investing.