S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded S&P Global from hold to strong sell, even though the broader analyst community remains more constructive on the stock.
• Other firms were mixed-to-bullish: Goldman Sachs, Barclays, JPMorgan, and Rothschild all reiterated or raised positive ratings, and MarketBeat says SPGI still has an average Moderate Buy rating with a $533.59 target.
• S&P Global recently beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $4.97 and revenue of $4.17 billion, and the company has also guided FY2026 EPS to 19.40-19.65 while insiders have been buying shares.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on SPGI. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on S&P Global from $539.00 to $490.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $565.00 to $555.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of S&P Global from $535.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their target price on shares of S&P Global from $540.00 to $520.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of S&P Global in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $533.59.

S&P Global Trading Down 3.9%

NYSE:SPGI opened at $430.69 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.48 billion, a PE ratio of 27.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's 50 day moving average is $422.04 and its 200 day moving average is $443.53. S&P Global has a 12 month low of $381.61 and a 12 month high of $579.05.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.82 by $0.15. S&P Global had a return on equity of 17.26% and a net margin of 30.37%.The business had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.37 earnings per share. S&P Global'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. Sell-side analysts expect that S&P Global will post 19.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Martina Cheung acquired 2,322 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $429.93 per share, with a total value of $998,297.46. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 27,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,830,813.74. This trade represents a 9.22% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz bought 1,152 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $434.03 per share, with a total value of $500,002.56. Following the purchase, the director owned 1,152 shares in the company, valued at $500,002.56. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 5,974 shares of company stock valued at $2,576,775. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On S&P Global

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in S&P Global in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. grew 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 purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of S&P Global in the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in shares of S&P Global in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting S&P Global

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on S&P Global (SPGI) to $521 and kept an outperform rating, suggesting meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan also lifted its price target on SPGI to $555 and maintained an overweight rating, reinforcing a bullish analyst view. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: S&P Dow Jones Indices and Pantera Capital launched the S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index, a rules-based benchmark for institutional digital-asset investing that could strengthen S&P Global’s index business and credibility in crypto-related products. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary notes S&P Global’s upcoming earnings report is expected to show growth, but one preview said the company may not have the ideal setup for an earnings beat, keeping expectations mixed. Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank reportedly cut FY2027 EPS estimates for SPGI, which adds some caution around longer-term earnings expectations. American Banking News
• Neutral Sentiment: Online value-investor chatter has been positive on SPGI, comparing it favorably with other high-profile names, but this is more sentiment than a fundamental catalyst. Insider Monkey

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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