S&P Global Inc. $SPGI Stake Lifted by Verdence Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Verdence Capital Advisors increased its S&P Global stake by 1,196.5% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 14,625 shares valued at approximately $5.77 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.17% of SPGI.
• S&P Global’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $4.83 and revenue of $4.15 billion, up 10.4% year over year. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.97 per share, representing a 0.9% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $515.88 price target versus the reported share price of $449.92. However, some commentary warns that the stock’s valuation may limit near-term upside.

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI - Free Report) by 1,196.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,625 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 13,497 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in S&P Global were worth $5,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mill Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of S&P Global by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Mill Capital Management LLC now owns 44,278 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $17,466,000 after buying an additional 422 shares during the last quarter. Sage Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new stake in shares of S&P Global during the third quarter worth approximately $1,218,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in shares of S&P Global by 13.6% in the third quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,448 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,360,000 after buying an additional 412 shares during the last quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG increased its stake in shares of S&P Global by 15.8% in the third quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 16,739 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $6,603,000 after buying an additional 2,290 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 55 North Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of S&P Global by 12.7% in the third quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,113 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $439,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

S&P Global Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SPGI opened at $449.92 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $132.64 billion, a PE ratio of 27.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.09. S&P Global Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $381.61 and a fifty-two week high of $552.25. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $418.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $433.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $4.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.81 by $0.02. S&P Global had a net margin of 31.37% and a return on equity of 17.74%. The firm had revenue of $4.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.43 earnings per share. S&P Global's revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that S&P Global Inc. will post 17.69 EPS for the current year.

S&P Global Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.97 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 25th. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. S&P Global's dividend payout ratio is 23.69%.

More S&P Global News

Here are the key news stories impacting S&P Global this week:

• Positive Sentiment: OpenZeppelin acquisition completed: S&P Global closed its purchase of OpenZeppelin, a provider of security standards for onchain finance. The deal expands SPGI’s digital-asset risk assessment, security evaluation and benchmarking capabilities as financial markets increasingly move onchain. The acquisition was cited as a catalyst for investor interest. S&P Global Completes Acquisition of OpenZeppelin
• Positive Sentiment: New Kalshi partnership expands index monetization opportunities: S&P Dow Jones Indices named Kalshi a preferred prediction-market platform for contracts tied to its benchmarks, while S&P DJI becomes a preferred index provider for Kalshi’s event-contract data. The agreement could broaden the reach and licensing applications of SPGI’s indices, although the near-term financial contribution is unclear. S&P Dow Jones Indices and Kalshi Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings are in focus: S&P Global was expected to report quarterly results on Tuesday. The company’s latest reported quarter showed adjusted EPS of $4.83, revenue of $4.15 billion and 10.4% year-over-year revenue growth, modestly exceeding analyst estimates. Analysts forecast full-year EPS of approximately $17.69. S&P Global Expected to Post Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Mobility spin-off completed: The separation included $53 million in costs, creating a one-time financial burden but simplifying SPGI’s portfolio and allowing greater focus on its core information and analytics businesses. S&P Global Completes Mobility Spin-off
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation may constrain upside: Despite strong excess returns and solid operating performance, one analysis described SPGI as fully priced. With shares trading above their 200-day moving average and at a forward-looking premium, investors may need continued earnings growth to justify additional gains. S&P Global Stock Looks Fully Priced

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SPGI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of S&P Global in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $525.00 to $477.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $555.00 to $553.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of S&P Global from $530.00 to $520.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of S&P Global from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, S&P Global currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $515.88.

About S&P Global

S&P Global NYSE: SPGI is a global provider of financial information, analytics, benchmarks and credit ratings. Its services are used by investors, corporations, governments and other organizations to evaluate risk, assess markets, support investment decisions and manage business operations.

The company operates through businesses including S&P Global Ratings, which provides credit ratings and related research; S&P Global Market Intelligence, which delivers data, research and analytics on companies, markets and industries; and S&P Global Commodity Insights, which supplies information and analysis for energy and commodity markets.

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