Barclays Cuts S&P Global (SPGI) Price Target but Maintains Overweight Rating

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) is included among the 13 Best Strong Buy Dividend Stocks to Invest in.

On February 23, Barclays analyst Manav Patnaik lowered his price recommendation on S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) to $565 from $620. The analyst maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. He said AI has “exacerbated investor concerns around what was already an intensely competitive market data vendor industry.” This reflects growing pressure across the sector as companies compete to differentiate their data and analytics offerings.

During the Q4 2025 earnings call, President, CEO, and Director Martina Cheung said the company delivered solid results. Revenue grew across the business, operating margins expanded meaningfully, and earnings per share increased 14%. She also noted that every division reported revenue growth within or above its original guidance range. Operating margins followed a similar pattern, coming in at or above the high end of expectations.

Cheung also discussed the company’s progress in key strategic areas. She pointed to developments in private markets, energy, and artificial intelligence as important drivers. The integration of With Intelligence, the launch of private equity benchmarks, and new partnerships with Cambridge Associates and Mercer stood out as meaningful steps. These moves are intended to deepen the company’s reach and strengthen its long-term position.

She said the company’s strategy continues to focus on three main priorities. These include reinforcing its leadership in core markets, expanding into high-growth adjacent areas like private markets and decentralized finance, and improving its enterprise-wide capabilities. Cheung also noted that more than 95% of the company’s revenue comes from proprietary benchmarks, differentiated data, and essential workflow tools. She expects that share to grow further over time.

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) operates as a provider of essential intelligence across financial and commodity markets. Its business is organized into five segments: Market Intelligence, Ratings, Commodity Insights, Mobility, and S&P Dow Jones Indices.

While we acknowledge the potential of SPGI to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SPGI and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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