S&P Global Inc. Short Interest Update

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) experienced a significant rise in short interest during February. As reported on February 28th, the total short interest reached 3,620,000 shares, marking an increase of 25.3% from the 2,890,000 shares reported on February 13th. With an average daily trading volume of 1,320,000 shares, the current short-interest ratio stands at 2.7 days. This indicates that approximately 1.2% of the company’s shares are currently sold short.

S&P Global Stock Movement

On Monday, S&P Global stocks saw an increase of 1.6%, trading up by $7.89 to reach a price of $494.38. The trading session recorded an exchange of 1,168,277 shares, slightly above its average volume of 1,148,650. Over the past twelve months, the stock has seen a low of $407.69 and a high of $545.39. The company's market capitalization is $152.17 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.03 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41. Additionally, S&P Global has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The 50-day moving average price stands at $513.56, while the 200-day moving average is $510.89.

Earnings Announcement

S&P Global released its latest earnings results on February 11th. The company reported earnings per share of $3.77 for the quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of $3.41 by $0.36. The firm achieved a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 27.12%. In the same quarter the previous year, earnings per share were $3.13. Analysts predict that S&P Global will report an earnings per share of 17.11 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Increase

Recently, S&P Global also announced a quarterly dividend. Shareholders of record on February 26th received a dividend of $0.96, which translates to an annualized dividend of $3.84, yielding 0.78%. This marks an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date was also February 26th, and S&P Global's current dividend payout ratio is 31.09%.

Institutional Investor Activity

Several hedge funds and institutional investors have altered their positions in S&P Global recently. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake by 3.4%, bringing its total shares to 8,868,375, valued at approximately $4.58 billion after acquiring an additional 292,436 shares. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings by 1.8%, now owning 6,589,982 shares valued at $3.27 billion. FMR LLC also grew its position by 6.6%, with a total of 5,965,369 shares worth $3.08 billion after purchasing an additional 369,598 shares. Norges Bank made a new acquisition in the fourth quarter, estimated to be worth around $1.73 billion. Northern Trust Corp enhanced its stake by 19.1%, currently holding 3,276,043 shares valued at $1.63 billion. A total of 87.17% of S&P Global shares are now owned by institutional investors.

Research Analysts' Ratings

The stock has received various ratings from research analysts. Citigroup initiated coverage on S&P Global with a "buy" rating and a target price of $600.00. Wells Fargo increased its target price from $617.00 to $633.00 while giving the stock an "overweight" rating. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective from $576.00 to $590.00 with an "outperform" rating, while Oppenheimer reduced their target price from $590.00 to $580.00, maintaining an "outperform" rating. StockNews.com downgraded S&P Global from a "buy" to a "hold" rating. Currently, three analysts rated the stock as a "hold," and fourteen analysts issued a "buy" rating, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $590.86.

Company Overview

S&P Global, Inc. offers transparent ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and data for capital and commodity markets globally. The company operates various segments including Market Intelligence, Ratings, Commodity Insights, Mobility, Indices, and Engineering Solutions.

S&P, Global, Stock