AlphaQuest LLC Acquires 1,165 Shares of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) by 31.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,817 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in S&P Global were worth $2,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in S&P Global during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new position in shares of S&P Global during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC raised its position in shares of S&P Global by 94.4% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 70 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on SPGI. StockNews.com lowered S&P Global from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of S&P Global in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $600.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of S&P Global from $595.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $610.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of S&P Global from $576.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, S&P Global currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $590.23.

S&P Global Price Performance

SPGI opened at $497.35 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $515.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $511.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $153.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.20. S&P Global Inc. has a 52-week low of $407.69 and a 52-week high of $545.39.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $3.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.41 by $0.36. S&P Global had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 14.33%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.13 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that S&P Global Inc. will post 17.11 EPS for the current year.

S&P Global Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 26th will be paid a $0.96 dividend. This is an increase from S&P Global’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 26th. S&P Global’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.09%.

About S&P Global

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.