S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The business services provider reported $4.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.32 by ($0.02), FiscalAI reports. S&P Global had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 29.16%.The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. S&P Global updated its FY 2026 guidance to 19.400-19.650 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from S&P Global’s conference call:

• S&P Global delivered a strong 2025 — revenue growth, operating margin expansion, and 14% adjusted EPS growth — while returning 113% of adjusted free cash flow, raising the dividend for the 53rd consecutive year and repurchasing >$5 billion of stock.
• Management guided 2026 to 6–8% organic constant-currency revenue growth, 50–75 bps of adjusted operating margin expansion (ex-Astra) and adjusted diluted EPS of $19.40–$19.65 (+9–10%), citing strong subscription momentum.
• The company is accelerating its AI and enterprise initiatives — led by Kensho and partnerships with major cloud/LLM providers — with >50% of data workflows automated and an Enterprise Data Office target to cut run-rate expenses by >20% by end of 2027.
• Management flagged market-sensitive headwinds for 2026: a difficult compare to record 2025 issuance (Ratings assumes build issuance up only low‑ to mid‑single digits with quarter-to-quarter volatility) and ongoing sanctions-related impacts in Energy (≈$3M Q4 headwind) that add near-term uncertainty.
• The Mobility spin is progressing (new name Mobility Global, confidential Form 10 filed, public filing/Investor Day and roadshow expected in Q2) and will remain consolidated in S&P Global results and guidance until the separation is complete.

S&P Global Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SPGI traded down $5.69 during trading on Thursday, hitting $385.07. 1,632,287 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,564,109. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The business’s fifty day moving average is $511.13 and its 200-day moving average is $513.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.29, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.20. S&P Global has a one year low of $381.61 and a one year high of $579.05.

S&P Global Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be given a $0.97 dividend. This represents a $3.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. This is an increase from S&P Global’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.96. S&P Global’s payout ratio is 26.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on SPGI shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on S&P Global from $620.00 to $627.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on S&P Global from $620.00 to $560.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore raised their price objective on S&P Global from $629.00 to $632.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of S&P Global from $675.00 to $530.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of S&P Global from $635.00 to $615.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eighteen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $576.38.

Key Headlines Impacting S&P Global

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive — multiple firms kept Outperform/Overweight ratings despite trimming targets, signaling continued confidence in SPGI’s long‑term positioning. Mizuho lowers target but keeps outperform RBC/Wells Fargo coverage notes Evercore trims target but stays bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply in January (down ~25%), reducing one source of downside pressure and potentially limiting near‑term squeezes. Source: market data in filings/market reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed — revenue came in around/above expectations while EPS missed modestly; management’s commentary and the full transcript provide detail for modeling revisions. Zacks: Q4 earnings recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Options‑market flow and sentiment are being analyzed (investors can use skew/put‑call activity for short‑term positioning and hedging). Benzinga options deep dive
• Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted materially to the earnings miss and related commentary — reports note a sharp intraday decline and a new 12‑month low as investors reassess near‑term growth and AI execution. AmericanBankingNews: new 12‑month low
• Negative Sentiment: Several major banks trimmed price targets (Mizuho, RBC, Wells Fargo, Evercore), which lowers the consensus upside and may pressure sentiment even though ratings stayed bullish. The Fly: Mizuho cut
• Negative Sentiment: Broker and media commentary flagged unresolved AI/growth concerns and mixed execution, which is weighing on multiple near‑term re‑ratings. Yahoo: AI concerns cited

Institutional Trading of S&P Global

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SPGI. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of S&P Global by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,176 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,582,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of S&P Global by 7.8% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,038 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its position in shares of S&P Global by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,694,790 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $893,511,000 after purchasing an additional 88,526 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in S&P Global in the 2nd quarter worth about $552,000. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its holdings in S&P Global by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,212 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,694,000 after buying an additional 472 shares during the period. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.