Is CME or MAIN cheaper?

On trailing earnings, MAIN is cheaper: CME trades at a 23.00 P/E and MAIN at 10.95.

Which has grown faster, CME or MAIN?

Over the past five years, MAIN grew revenue faster — CME at a 7.93% CAGR versus MAIN at 16.32%.

Does CME or MAIN pay a bigger dividend?

CME yields 1.41% and MAIN yields 7.75% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CME or MAIN more profitable?

CME runs the higher net margin — CME at 62.77% versus MAIN at 58.59%.

Which has been the better investment, CME or MAIN?

Over the past 10-year, CME delivered the higher annualized total return — CME at 15.04% versus MAIN at 13.03%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CME Group Inc. (CME) vs Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN)

MAIN leads on 13 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of CME Group Inc. and Main Street Capital Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

CME

CME Group Inc.

$97.67B

$269.53Financial Services

MAIN

Main Street Capital Corporation

$4.84B

$52.02Financial Services

Total return — CME vs MAIN

growth of $100 · last 19y

CME +115.6%MAIN +251.5%MAIN compounded faster

CME MAIN

CME vs MAIN: by the numbers

•CME is the larger company ($97.67B vs $4.84B market cap).
•MAIN trades at the lower earnings multiple (10.95 vs 23.00 P/E).
•CME converts more revenue to profit (62.77% vs 58.59% net margin).
•MAIN grew revenue faster over the past five years (16.32% vs 7.93% CAGR).
•MAIN pays the higher dividend yield (7.75% vs 1.41%).

Which is better, CME or MAIN?

Metric tally: CME 2 · MAIN 13

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueMAIN(lower P/E)

GrowthMAIN(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeMAIN(higher dividend yield)

QualityMAIN(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	CME	MAIN
P/E ratio	23.00	10.95●
Forward P/E	20.93	13.67●
P/S ratio	14.49	6.48●
P/B ratio	3.68	1.52●
PEG ratio	1.58	0.17●
EV / EBITDA	17.39	14.88●
FCF yield	4.42%	7.26%●

Profitability

Metric	CME	MAIN
Gross margin	86.34%	86.39%
Operating margin	65.57%	66.79%
Net margin	62.77%●	58.59%
ROE	15.94%●	13.78%
ROIC	1.62%	8.64%●

Dividends

Metric	CME	MAIN
Dividend yield	1.41%	7.75%●
Payout ratio	33.99%	73.01%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CME	MAIN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.93%	16.32%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	13.72%	65.11%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	12.73%	55.68%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	8.64%	12.64%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, CME or MAIN?: It depends on your goal. value: MAIN (lower P/E); growth: MAIN (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: MAIN (higher dividend yield); quality: MAIN (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, MAIN leads 13 to 2.
Is CME or MAIN cheaper?: On trailing earnings, MAIN is cheaper: CME trades at a 23.00 P/E and MAIN at 10.95.
Which has grown faster, CME or MAIN?: Over the past five years, MAIN grew revenue faster — CME at a 7.93% CAGR versus MAIN at 16.32%.
Does CME or MAIN pay a bigger dividend?: CME yields 1.41% and MAIN yields 7.75% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CME or MAIN more profitable?: CME runs the higher net margin — CME at 62.77% versus MAIN at 58.59%.
Which has been the better investment, CME or MAIN?: Over the past 10-year, CME delivered the higher annualized total return — CME at 15.04% versus MAIN at 13.03%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CME analysis Full MAIN analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CME P/E ratio Main Street Capital P/E ratio CME dividend yield Main Street Capital dividend yield CME ROE Main Street Capital ROE CME operating margin Main Street Capital operating margin CME revenue growth Main Street Capital revenue growth CME free cash flow Main Street Capital free cash flow

CME & Main Street Capital appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.