S&P Global Inc. $SPGI Shares Purchased by Marathon Asset Management Ltd

Key Points

• Marathon Asset Management increased its stake in S&P Global by 20% in the fourth quarter, adding 9,847 shares and bringing its total holding to 59,026 shares worth about $30.8 million.
• S&P Global posted solid quarterly results, with EPS of $4.97 beating estimates and revenue of $4.17 billion topping expectations, while revenue rose 10.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain constructive on the stock: 16 analysts rate SPGI a Buy and the consensus target price is about $550, even though the shares were down 1.8% and opened at $409.72.

Marathon Asset Management Ltd raised its position in shares of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI - Free Report) by 20.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 59,026 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 9,847 shares during the period. Marathon Asset Management Ltd's holdings in S&P Global were worth $30,847,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SPGI. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in S&P Global by 171.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 76 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. 87.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of S&P Global from $556.00 to $557.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of S&P Global from $551.00 to $554.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of S&P Global from $599.00 to $489.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of S&P Global in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $575.00 price target for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $546.00 price target on shares of S&P Global in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $550.00.

S&P Global Stock Down 1.8%

SPGI stock opened at $409.72 on Wednesday. S&P Global Inc. has a 52-week low of $381.61 and a 52-week high of $579.05. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $426.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $468.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.11.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.37 earnings per share. The firm's 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that S&P Global Inc. will post 19.59 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Martina Cheung purchased 2,322 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $429.93 per share, for a total transaction of $998,297.46. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,830,813.74. The trade was a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Catherine R. Clay purchased 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $431.39 per share, for a total transaction of $1,078,475.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,078,475. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have bought 5,974 shares of company stock worth $2,576,775 over the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

S&P Global Company Profile

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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