Value investing communities on Reddit and other notable platforms have been pounding the table on SPGI. They say it’s a better investment than SPCX. In this article, we examine whether that argument holds true.
S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) is a financial information services company that sells data, analytics, and credit ratings to the capital markets. Its customers are banks, investment firms, corporations, and governments that need benchmarks, market intelligence, and credit analysis. The company is famous for managing the S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Is AI Really a Threat to SPGI?
The stock took a hit due to AI fears because Wall Street believes that AI could disrupt its data and analytics business — that competitors could write code to replicate what S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) does without needing 160 years of brand reputation.
But Q1 2026 results crushed those fears. Revenue rose 10% year over year and earnings per share jumped 14%. The company is aggressively investing in AI and acquired Kensho Labs back in 2018, years before the current AI boom. Kensho is S&P Global’s in-house AI group that develops dedicated AI solutions using the company’s massive datasets. It uses agentic AI to automate workflows with tools like Scribe, Extract, and Link, and already has at least 300 customers. Recently, SPGI acquired Enertel AI for power price forecasting, ProntoNLP for analyzing unstructured financial data using large language models, and several other AI-focused companies.
All of this shows that SPGI is not worried about AI disruption. It’s actively trying to stay ahead of it. The dividend is another strong point. S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI) is a Dividend King with over 50 years of payout increases.
What protects SPGI from AI comes down to years of moat and proprietary trust. The SEC counts S&P Global Ratings as one of the top three firms it recognizes as an NRSRO, which stands for Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization, alongside Moody’s and Fitch. This trust and regulatory standing protects the segment from AI disruption. Bulls also point to Ratings as the bigger revenue driver, and it’s light on spending but heavy on profit.
Impax US Sustainable Economy Fund stated the following regarding S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) (Financials, Financial Exchanges & Data), is held for its Corporate Resilience profile and sustainability opportunities within Digital Infrastructure and Meeting Basic Needs through financial data and risk analytics services. The stock declined during the quarter as investor sentiment toward data and analytics businesses softened, with concerns around the pace of issuance activity and potential AI disruption to ratings and research services. The portfolio’s overweight position was a negative active contributor.”
