S&P Global Inc. is a prominent financial information and analytics company based in the United States. It was founded in 1860 as the Standard Statistics Bureau, the predecessor to the current S&P Global. Over the years, the company went through several mergers and acquisitions, including the merger of Standard Statistics Bureau with Poor's Publishing Company in 1941, which resulted in the formation of Standard & Poor's Corporation. In 2016, the company rebranded as S&P Global Inc., reflecting its diversified business lines and global presence.
S&P Global is primarily known for its iconic financial indices, including the S&P 500, which tracks the performance of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. It also offers credit ratings, research, and data services to financial institutions, corporations, governments, and investors worldwide. Its credit rating division, known as S&P Global Ratings, is one of the three major credit rating agencies globally, alongside Moody's and Fitch Ratings. S&P Global Ratings assesses the creditworthiness of entities and financial instruments, providing critical information for investment decisions.
In addition to financial indices and credit ratings, S&P Global operates various other divisions, such as S&P Market Intelligence, which provides data and analytics solutions to capital markets, and S&P Dow Jones Indices, a joint venture with CME Group that focuses on index creation and calculation.
S&P Global's data and analytics offerings cover a wide range of sectors, including financial, energy, commodities, real estate, and more. Its services are widely used by investment professionals, corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions to make informed decisions and manage risk effectively. The company's commitment to delivering reliable, transparent, and timely data and insights has solidified its position as a leader in the financial information industry.