Skylands Capital LLC Raises Holdings in S&P Global Inc. $SPGI

Key Points

• Skylands Capital LLC increased its stake in S&P Global by 293.4% in the first quarter, ending with 7,003 shares valued at about $2.98 million.
• Several other hedge funds also added to or initiated positions in SPGI, and 87.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
• S&P Global insiders were active buyers: CEO Catherine R. Clay and Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz purchased shares, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $545.28.

Skylands Capital LLC grew its position in shares of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI - Free Report) by 293.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,003 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 5,223 shares during the period. Skylands Capital LLC's holdings in S&P Global were worth $2,979,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in SPGI. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in S&P Global in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 134.6% during the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 61 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global in the third quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its position in S&P Global by 171.4% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 76 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at S&P Global

In other S&P Global news, CEO Catherine R. Clay bought 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $431.39 per share, for a total transaction of $1,078,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 2,500 shares in the company, valued at $1,078,475. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz purchased 1,152 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $434.03 per share, for a total transaction of $500,002.56. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,152 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $500,002.56. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired a total of 5,974 shares of company stock worth $2,576,775 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SPGI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on shares of S&P Global from $540.00 to $520.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $490.00 to $485.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of S&P Global from $556.00 to $557.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of S&P Global from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Evercore lowered their price target on shares of S&P Global from $625.00 to $560.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $545.28.

S&P Global Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SPGI opened at $409.88 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. S&P Global Inc. has a 12 month low of $381.61 and a 12 month high of $579.05. The company has a market capitalization of $121.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's 50-day moving average is $421.36 and its 200 day moving average is $453.04.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.82 by $0.15. S&P Global had a net margin of 30.37% and a return on equity of 17.26%. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.37 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. S&P Global has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.400-19.650 EPS. Research analysts predict that S&P Global Inc. will post 19.61 EPS for the current year.

S&P Global Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.97 per share. This represents a $3.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 26th. S&P Global's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.56%.

About S&P Global

S&P Global is a leading provider of financial information, analytics and benchmark indices that serve investors, issuers, corporations and public institutions worldwide. The company operates through well-known businesses that include credit ratings, market intelligence and index licensing, as well as commodity and energy information services. Its products and services are used to assess creditworthiness, inform investment decisions, construct and track benchmark portfolios, and support risk and commodity market analysis.

S&P Global Ratings provides independent credit ratings, research and data used by fixed income investors and capital market participants to evaluate issuer and transaction risk.

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