S&P Global Inc. - SPGI STOCK NEWS

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) has released its 2020 Investor Fact Book, titled Accelerating Progress in the World, available for download on its website. The document showcases the company’s strategic initiatives to enhance growth, customer value, and productivity. Significant highlights include advancements in sustainability through ESG capabilities, the launch of the S&P Global Marketplace for alternative datasets, and the integration of data science to bolster competitive advantage. Additionally, it contains key investor information such as bond issuance data and S&P Global Ratings' historical performance.

Trucost, a part of S&P Global, has launched its new EU Taxonomy Revenue Share dataset, designed to assess the percentage of company revenues tied to sustainable activities per EU guidelines. Covering over 15,000 companies that represent 99% of global market capitalization, it helps financial institutions comply with upcoming EU disclosure requirements. The dataset goes back to 2005, enabling evaluations of business activity eligibility over time and can be used to assess investment portfolios. This initiative aligns with the EU's Sustainable Finance Action Plan.

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) has received two significant honors from Working Mother for its exceptional parental benefits. The company made the list of the 100 Best Companies recognized for offering paid parental leave and promoting family-friendly policies, as well as being named among the Best Companies for Dads. Notably, S&P Global provides a minimum of 20 weeks of global parental leave, significantly above the average of 11 weeks among the top companies. Recent expansions include a new 6-week paid care leave policy to support employees during COVID-19.

S&P Dow Jones Indices reported a decline of $2.3 billion in indicated dividends for U.S. domestic common stocks in Q3 2020, compared to a more substantial decline of $42.5 billion in Q2 2020. Aggregate dividend increases rose by 26.0% to $8.4 billion, while cuts decreased significantly by 78.1% to $10.8 billion. Over the past 12 months, net dividends fell by $39.7 billion, contrasting with a gain of $42.2 billion the previous year. The average dividend payment for S&P 500 fell to $13.97, indicating challenges in maintaining shareholder value.

S&P Global Ratings has achieved first place in three categories at the GlobalCapital Bond Awards 2020: Corporate Bonds, Financial Institutions, and Emerging Markets. The recognition highlights the company's innovative analysis and commitment to transparency in an extraordinary year marked by global challenges. According to S&P's leadership, the success is attributed to the team's collaboration and responsiveness to market demands. These awards reinforce S&P's position as a trusted provider of credit risk analysis and signify strong client engagement throughout the year.

The Port of Rotterdam successfully piloted Distro, a high-frequency decentralized energy trading platform co-developed by S&P Global Platts and BlockLab. The trial, which began in August 2020, demonstrated significant benefits, including an 11% reduction in energy costs for consumers and a 14% revenue boost for local renewable energy producers. Key outcomes included a 92% utilization rate of on-site solar energy and a 20% increase in battery storage ROI. Distro's transparent market design has the potential to save up to 30 million tonnes of carbon once fully deployed across the port.

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) will release its third quarter 2020 financial results on October 27, 2020, at 7:15 a.m. EDT. A conference call with executives, including CEO Douglas L. Peterson and CFO Ewout Steenbergen, will follow at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Stakeholders can access the call via phone or webcast, with replay options available. The press release and additional documents will be accessible on the company's investor relations website. S&P Global, a leading provider of credit ratings and market analytics, has been delivering critical insights for over 160 years.

The Board of Directors of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.67 per share, payable on December 10, 2020, to shareholders on record as of November 25, 2020. This brings the annualized dividend rate to $2.68 per share. S&P Global, which has consistently paid dividends since 1937, is among the few companies in the S&P 500 that have increased dividends annually for over 47 years.