Nomura Holdings Inc. Increases Stake in S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its stake in S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) by 131.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,481 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,348 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.’s holdings in S&P Global were worth $8,208,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in SPGI. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of S&P Global in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in S&P Global during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted 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 valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

S&P Global Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SPGI opened at $512.09 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. S&P Global Inc. has a twelve month low of $419.49 and a twelve month high of $545.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $486.48 and its 200-day moving average is $501.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $157.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.46, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.23.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The business services provider reported $4.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.23 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.72 billion. S&P Global had a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 27.12%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.01 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that S&P Global Inc. will post 17.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

S&P Global Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 28th will be given a dividend of $0.96 per share. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 28th. S&P Global’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on SPGI shares. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of S&P Global in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $599.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of S&P Global from $555.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. StockNews.com cut shares of S&P Global from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of S&P Global from $595.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of S&P Global from $629.00 to $603.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, S&P Global presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $592.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Sally Moore sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $510.43, for a total transaction of $255,215.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,131 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,619,016.33. This trade represents a 8.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.