5 Dividend Aristocrats Hedge Funds Love

3. S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79

Next up is S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI), a global provider of research, news, analytics and credit ratings. On March 8, Goldman Sachs analyst George Tong reinstated coverage of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) with a ‘Buy’ rating and price target of $485, noting that the firm’s merger with research firm IHS Markit creates ‘amplified opportunity for shareholder value creation’. The firm declared a $0.77 per share quarterly dividend on January 26, which was in-line with previous.

79 hedge funds were bullish on S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) in the fourth quarter of 2021, with combined positions worth $7.82 billion. This is up from 78 hedge funds in the previous quarter with $7.03 billion worth of stakes in the firm. With 3.74 million shares worth $1.76 billion, TCI Fund Management was the top shareholder of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) in Q4 2021.

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) reported an EPS of $3.15 in Q4 2021, which exceeded analysts’ expectations by $0.03. Quarterly revenue over the fourth quarter was recorded at $2.09 billion, outperforming consensus estimates by $42.53 million, and up 11.84% year-over-year.

Baron FinTech Fund talked about S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) in its Q4 2021 investor letter. Here’s what the fund said:

“Shares of rating agency and data provider S&P Global Inc. increased after the company reported quarterly results that beat Street forecasts and raised full-year guidance. Revenue grew 13% and EPS grew 24% due to elevated issuance activity across bank loans and structured finance combined with strong growth in the Indices segment. Shares also benefited from the receipt of regulatory approvals for the pending merger with IHS Markit. We continue to own the stock due to the company’s long runway for growth and significant competitive advantages.”