S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) Price Target Raised to $521.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target on S&P Global from $489 to $521 while keeping a buy rating, implying about 13.9% upside from the prior close.
• Other major firms have also been adjusting targets, with several still positive on the stock; overall, analysts show a Moderate Buy consensus and a consensus price target of $533.88.
• S&P Global recently beat quarterly earnings expectations, and insider buying plus heavy institutional ownership suggest continued confidence in the company.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $489.00 to $521.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the business services provider's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.92% from the stock's previous close.

SPGI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group lowered their target price on S&P Global from $550.00 to $525.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on S&P Global from $557.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays cut 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 research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of S&P Global from $575.00 to $550.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group cut their target price on S&P Global from $490.00 to $485.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $533.88.

S&P Global Price Performance

NYSE SPGI opened at $457.34 on Friday. 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 $135.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $420.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $445.29. S&P Global has a 52-week low of $381.61 and a 52-week high of $579.05.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.37 EPS. The company'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. Equities research analysts predict that S&P Global will post 19.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at S&P Global

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of S&P Global in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,398,991,000. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of S&P Global in the 1st quarter valued at $702,911,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its position in shares of S&P Global by 858.3% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,760,230 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $919,879,000 after buying an additional 1,576,544 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in S&P Global by 2,256.7% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,446,633 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $755,996,000 after buying an additional 1,385,249 shares during the period. Finally, Soroban Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in S&P Global by 260.3% during the first quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 1,688,643 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $718,247,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219,990 shares in the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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