S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,660,000 shares, a decrease of 15.8% from the March 15th total of 3,160,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,450,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Currently, 0.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

S&P Global Trading Up 1.5 %

SPGI stock traded up $7.21 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $477.44. The company had a trading volume of 91,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,402,991. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $494.80 and a 200 day moving average of $503.54. The company has a market capitalization of $149.84 billion, a PE ratio of 38.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.26. S&P Global has a 12 month low of $407.69 and a 12 month high of $545.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $3.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.41 by $0.36. S&P Global had a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 27.12%. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.13 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that S&P Global will post 17.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

S&P Global Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th were paid a $0.96 dividend. This is a positive change from S&P Global's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. S&P Global's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On S&P Global

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new position in S&P Global during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Human Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of S&P Global in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in S&P Global during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of S&P Global by 131.0% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 67 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on SPGI shares. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of S&P Global from $599.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on S&P Global from $590.00 to $580.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Bank of America began coverage on shares of S&P Global in a report on Thursday, April 10th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group increased their target price on S&P Global from $610.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on S&P Global from $576.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $591.86.

S&P Global Company Profile

S&P Global, Inc engages in the provision of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. It operates through the following segments: Market Intelligence, Ratings, Commodity Insights, Mobility, Indices, and Engineering Solutions.