Wills Financial Group Inc. Acquires 128 Shares of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

Wills Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,112 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the quarter. S&P Global comprises approximately 2.0% of Wills Financial Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Wills Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in S&P Global were worth $4,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of S&P Global during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in S&P Global in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of S&P Global by 700.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 72 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new stake in shares of S&P Global during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Evercore ISI raised their target price on S&P Global from $599.00 to $608.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of S&P Global from $633.00 to $607.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of S&P Global from $618.00 to $565.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on S&P Global from $595.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on S&P Global in a report on Thursday, April 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $600.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $591.86.

S&P Global Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE:SPGI opened at $480.33 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $150.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.26. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $492.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $503.10. S&P Global Inc. has a 52-week low of $408.84 and a 52-week high of $545.39.

S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $3.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the firm earned $3.13 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that S&P Global Inc. will post 17.11 EPS for the current year.

S&P Global Increases Dividend

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

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.