S&P Global - SPGI STOCK NEWS

S&P Global Market Intelligence reported a sequential increase in U.S. households subscribing to live, linear networks by 319,000 or 0.4% in Q3 2020, following a surge in virtual multichannel packages. Traditional providers lost over 1.6 million subs, yet the decline slowed to 2.1%. Virtual services gained nearly 2 million subscriptions, marking a 19% sequential growth. Combined, the penetration of subscriptions reached 67.4%, while traditional multichannel subscriptions fell below 58%. The industry overall remains down 4.6% year-over-year.

S&P Global Platts announced the launch of daily spot price assessments for recycled PET food-grade pellets in Los Angeles. This development adds to their existing assessments of post-consumer PET bottle bales and recycled PET clear flakes. California's Assembly Bill 793 mandates increased recycled content in PET bottles, further driving demand. The assessments will provide transparency in the recycled plastic market, which is currently lacking standardization. European RPET pellet prices have averaged $500 per metric ton above virgin PET prices since 2019, indicating growing demand for recycled materials.

S&P Global Market Intelligence and Oliver Wyman have partnered with Citi to facilitate its transition to a low-carbon economy through the use of Climate Credit Analytics. This innovative analytics tool assesses the impact of climate risks on creditworthiness, combining S&P's advanced credit risk models with Oliver Wyman's climate scenario expertise. Citi becomes the first bank to implement this tool, enhancing its climate risk analysis as part of its Sustainable Progress Strategy and TCFD initiatives.

A recent analysis by S&P Global Trucost shows that a portfolio aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outperformed the S&P 500 over six years, increasing by 136.2% versus the S&P 500's 125.8%. This performance difference of 10.4% indicates that incorporating the Trucost SDG dataset can enhance returns. The CEO, Richard Mattison, noted heightened interest in companies' societal impacts, especially post-pandemic. The study highlights that companies with higher revenue from SDG-related products tend to outperform their peers.

S&P Global Platts has launched first-to-market hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) values in Europe as of November 10, 2020, enhancing price transparency amid the industry's shift to lower carbon fuels. The daily assessments, based on used cooking oil costs, average $1,388.5 per metric ton, reflecting a premium over ultra-low sulphur diesel's $332.6. Demand for HVO is expected to rise to over 3 million metric tons by 2030, driven by stringent EU emission targets. This initiative is part of Platts' response to increasing market needs for renewable fuel pricing.

The S&P Global Platts analysis on the 2020 US Elections highlights potential impacts on the energy sector. A Trump re-election could mean continued deregulation and support for fossil fuels, while a Biden victory may tighten regulations and boost renewables. Economic growth and trade outlooks under Biden could support energy prices, despite risks from potential oil supply increases from Iran and Venezuela. Political polls favor Biden, suggesting a significant shift in policies that could affect both fossil fuel and renewable industries, with implications for energy prices and investment.