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S&P Global (SPGI) scores 7.4 out of 10 as of , computed from its reported financial statements. That reads as high quality. The reading rests on solvency, and predictability is what holds it back.
Data provided by Twelve Data. Scores are computed by Lemma Analysis from reported financials.
S&P Global’s returns on capital beat their cost in most measured years: 3 of 4 indicators passed.
Quantitative signs of a moat, read from the filed statements. This is not a judgement of where it comes from (brand, network effects, switching costs). How Lemma measures a moat →
Ratings and index licensing are close to the ideal shape for this framework: recurring revenue, very high margins and almost no capital employed. The pillar to interrogate is predictability, because ratings revenue depends on debt issuance, and issuance stops abruptly when rates move. Growth and efficiency should score strongly either way.
The Quality Score for SPGI stands at 7.4 out of 10 as of October 16, 2026, which puts S&P Global in the high quality band. Businesses in this band tend to combine good returns with a sound balance sheet, even if one pillar lags the others. It rolls S&P Global’s profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability into one number, each judged against the norms of its sector.
Set against 261 Financials companies, S&P Global lands at the 88th percentile, among the stronger quarter of the group. The median across the group is 5.9, and the top quarter begins at 6.8, so S&P Global is well above the typical company here.
S&P Global’s profitability score is 8.1 out of 10 (strong). Against a median of 6.8 among 255 Financials companies, that is above the group and the 83rd percentile. Returns and margins at this level leave room to reinvest, absorb a bad year or return cash to shareholders without straining the business.
Solvency scores 9.0 out of 10, which reads as strong. The median across 140 Financials companies is 8.5, so S&P Global is above its peers on this pillar and ranks at the 55th percentile. Strong solvency points to a balance sheet that can carry its debts comfortably, with interest well covered and little pressure from creditors.
Growth scores 6.1 out of 10, which reads as average. The median across 241 Financials companies is 4.6, so S&P Global is well above its peers on this pillar and ranks at the 71st percentile. Average growth reflects a business expanding at roughly the pace of its sector, without a clear acceleration or decline.
On efficiency, S&P Global scores 7.9, a strong reading. Its peers have a median of 5.8 across 211 Financials companies, which places it well above them, at the 70th percentile. High efficiency means assets and earnings are being turned into cash and output better than at most peers, a sign of a well run operation.
S&P Global’s predictability score is 5.6 out of 10 (average). Against a median of 4.9 among 256 Financials companies, that is above the group and the 64th percentile. Middling predictability suggests some volatility in the record, enough to read the other pillars with a little caution.
Solvency at 9.0 is S&P Global’s best pillar and predictability at 5.6 its weakest. The 3.4 point gap between them is worth keeping in mind when reading the overall. Leading with solvency is a defensive strength: it protects the business more than it grows it. Uneven results make any single year a weaker guide to the next one.
S&P Global has no pillar below the median of Financials companies, which leaves little room to rise. Its exposure is to slippage instead, and profitability carries the most weight: one point less there would mean an overall of roughly 7.2 rather than 7.4. The weights add up to 100 points (profitability 25, solvency 20, growth 20, efficiency 15, predictability 20), and S&P Global has a reading on every pillar.
For a fair comparison, start with companies of a similar size: the Financials companies below are nearest to S&P Global by market value, each scored on the same pillars.
How much profit the company generates from its capital and sales.
The company’s ability to service debt and meet its obligations.
How fast revenue, earnings and cash flow are compounding.
How well assets and earnings convert into cash and output.
How stable and consistent results have been over time.
Each metric is scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks, where higher is better. Metrics roll up into five pillars, and the pillars combine into the overall score using the weights shown. Sector-sensitive metrics are judged relative to peers in the same sector.
This score is a systematic, backward-looking read of reported fundamentals. It does not judge valuation, management quality, competitive moat, or future prospects, and can be distorted by one-off items or unusual accounting. Treat it as a starting point, not a recommendation.
Educational only. Not investment advice.
On this reading S&P Global scores 7.4 out of 10, which reads as high quality. Its strongest pillar is solvency, its weakest is predictability. Quality is not the same as a good investment: the score says nothing about the price you would pay.
S&P Global ranks at the 88th percentile of the 261 Financials companies Lemma publishes a score for. The median there is 5.9 and the top quarter starts at 6.8, against S&P Global’s 7.4.
Five pillars, each scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks and then weighted into one overall reading: profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability. Everything comes from reported financials, and nothing comes from price, sentiment or forecasts.
This page last changed on October 16, 2026. The score moves with the financial statements, so the page changes when a new filing moves the reading rather than on a schedule. Live figures for SPGI are in the app.
No. Quality and valuation are separate questions, and a good business at the wrong price is still a bad purchase. Score the business here, then price it with a DCF you control.
Inside Lemma Analysis the same five pillars run on every company we cover, with the metrics behind each one, current fundamentals, a DCF you control and a watchlist that tells you when the price catches up.
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