It has been about a month since the last earnings report for S&P Global (SPGI). Shares have added about 4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is S&P Global due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for S&P Global Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
S&P Global Beats on Q2 Earnings
S&P Global reported impressive -quarter 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The company's second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings were $4.83 per share, rising 23% year over year and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.49 by 7.6%. Pro-forma revenues of $3.68 billion increased 11% and surpassed the consensus mark of $3.64 billion by 0.8%.
The performance was led by record results in Ratings and Indices. Global rated issuance strengthened sharply, with volumes rising 26% in the United States, 12% in Europe and 49% in Asia.
SPGI's Ratings Business Sets the Pace
Ratings revenues increased 17% year over year to $1.34 billion. Transaction revenues climbed 25% to $746 million, driven by higher debt-rating activity, while non-transaction revenues rose 8% to $593 million.
Adjusted operating profit advanced 22% to $917 million. The adjusted operating margin expanded 310 basis points to 68.5%, as revenue growth outpaced a 6% increase in adjusted expenses. Higher compensation and continued investments in strategic initiatives contributed to the expense increase.
S&P Global's Indices Extend Strong Growth
Indices revenues jumped 20% year over year to $534 million. Growth reflected higher asset-linked fees, supported by increased assets under management and strong trading volumes in exchange-traded derivatives.
Asset-linked fees rose 22% to $348 million, while sales usage-based royalties also increased 22% to $99 million. Adjusted operating profit grew 21% to $382 million, and the adjusted operating margin improved 90 basis points to 71.5%.
Recurring revenues represented 81.5% of segment revenues compared with 81.9% a year earlier. Adjusted expenses increased 16% due primarily to strategic growth investments and higher compensation costs.
SPGI's Energy Growth Remains Measured
Adjusted Energy revenues were $623 million, up 3% year over year. Mid-single-digit growth in Platts, supported by demand for price assessments, was partly offset by muted Global Trading Services volumes and comparatively slower growth in CERA.
Recurring revenues accounted for 91.2% of the division’s total, increasing 90 basis points from the prior-year quarter. Adjusted operating profit rose 4% to $296 million, while the adjusted operating margin expanded 70 basis points to 47.5%.
Adjusted expenses increased 1%. Higher compensation and investments in growth initiatives were partly offset by productivity measures, helping profit growth remain ahead of the segment’s top-line increase.
S&P Global's Market Intelligence Margin Rises
Adjusted Market Intelligence revenues increased 6% to $1.24 billion. High-single-digit growth in Kensho Data & Platforms, including contributions from With Intelligence, supported the results. Enterprise Solutions delivered low-single-digit growth, including the impacts of the Enterprise Data Management and thinkFolio divestitures.
Recurring revenues represented 97% of the segment’s total, up 20 basis points. Adjusted operating profit climbed 10% to $445 million, and the adjusted operating margin expanded 120 basis points to 36%.
Adjusted expenses increased 4%, reflecting With Intelligence costs and higher compensation. The divestitures and productivity savings partly offset those pressures.
SPGI's Profitability & Cash Flow Strengthen
Pro-forma non-GAAP adjusted operating profit increased 15% year over year to $2 billion. Adjusted expenses rose 6% to $1.68 billion, allowing the adjusted operating margin to expand 200 basis points to 54.3%.
Adjusted net income increased 19% to $1.43 billion. The adjusted effective tax rate declined to 19.8% from 23.3%, while a 3% reduction in diluted shares outstanding also supported per-share growth. Currency added 3 cents to adjusted earnings.
Cash provided by operating activities was $1.44 billion. The adjusted free cash flow, excluding certain items, totaled $1.37 billion, up 1%. The company paid out $287 million in dividends during the quarter.
S&P Global's Capital Returns Remain Active
SPGI repurchased $500 million in shares in the second quarter, bringing year-to-date repurchases to $1.5 billion. Management expects total 2026 share repurchases to exceed $7 billion following the Mobility separation.
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash stood at $4.14 billion at the quarter-end. Short- and long-term debt, excluding $2 billion in bonds transferred to Mobility Global, was $13.17 billion. Adjusted net debt was 1.9 times adjusted EBITDA.
SPGI's Outlook Reflects Post-Spin Business Mix
S&P Global expects 2026 year-over-year reported revenue growth of 5.9-7.9% excluding Mobility, while the preceding quarter’s Mobility-included figure was 6.3-8.3%. Organic constant-currency revenue growth is projected at 6-8%, with adjusted operating margin expansion of 35-60 basis points (bps) while the first quarter 2026 (Mobility included) view was 10-35 bps.
Adjusted diluted earnings are expected to be between $17.5 and $17.75, while the preceding quarter’s (Mobility included) view was $19.4-$19.65. The company projects adjusted corporate unallocated expenses are expected to be $185-$195 million. The preceding quarter’s (Mobility included) view was $220-$230 million.
Management reduced net interest expense expectations to $390-$410 million from the $405-$415 million (Mobility included) reported in the preceding quarter. Capital expenditure of $190-$210 million is lowered from the preceding quarter’s (Mobility included) $215-$225 million.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates revision.
The consensus estimate has shifted -6.25% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
At this time, S&P Global has a subpar Growth Score of D, a score with the same score on the momentum front. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise S&P Global has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
S&P Global is part of the Zacks Securities and Exchanges industry. Over the past month, Nasdaq (NDAQ), a stock from the same industry, has gained 4.1%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended June 2026 more than a month ago.
Nasdaq reported revenues of $1.5 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +14.9%. EPS of $1.07 for the same period compares with $0.85 a year ago.
For the current quarter, Nasdaq is expected to post earnings of $1.02 per share, indicating a change of +15.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.4% over the last 30 days.
Nasdaq has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of F.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
S&P Global Inc. (SPGI): Free Stock Analysis Report
Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).