M&A Activity Puts Market Information Services Industry in the Spotlight
S&P Global (SPGI) announced on November 30 that it would be acquiring IHS Markit (INFO) for $44 billion. The deal is one of the two largest mergers of 2020 and it has put the market data services industry in the spotlight.
This particular merger was of major interest to me as I have S&P Global, MSCI (MSCI) and Factset Research (FDS) in my 20/2o Model Portfolio. The reason those three stocks got my attention in the first place was due to their earnings and revenue growth. If we look at the Tickeron Screener for these three stocks, all three have really good SMR Ratings. The SMR rating includes sales growth, profit margin, and return on equity—three important fundamental indicators.
The SMR rating is the only fundamental category where all three rank above average, but both MSCI and Factset Research score very well in the Valuation Rating and the Profit vs. Risk rating.
S&P Global scores poorly in its Valuation Rating and the Profit vs. Risk Rating. Those are the only two areas that are a concern for the stock though. MSCI scores poorly in the Outlook Rating while Factset Research scores poorly in its seasonality score. Between the three stocks, those are the only four areas where there is any hint of negativity.
On the technical side, there isn’t a single bearish signal among the three stocks and the seven different indicators. All 21 readings are either neutral or bullish. S&P Global and Factset Research both received bullish signals from their stochastic indicators on November 30 which I thought was interesting. Those two stocks also received bullish signals from the MACD indicators on the same date.
Another area of analysis that got my attention for the three stocks was the sentiment. None of three stocks have extremely high levels of optimism being displayed toward them and Factset Research has quite a bit of pessimism being directed toward it. Looking at the analysts’ ratings for Factset, there are 16 analysts covering the stock with nine “hold” ratings and seven “sell” ratings. Not a single analysts ranks the stock as a buy and that is hard to believe given the company’s strong fundamentals.
S&P Global has seven “buy” ratings and four “hold” ratings while MSCI has six “buy” ratings, five “hold” ratings, and one “sell” rating. Both of those buy percentages are below average.
Turning our attention to the short interest ratios, Factset Research’s ratio is above average at 4.7, while S&P Global and MSCI have short interest ratios that are slightly below the average reading.
When you compare the three companies in all categories, you can see how well they stack up against one another and how they compare to other stocks based on the fundamental and technical analysis.
SPGI's RSI Oscillator climbs out of oversold territory
The RSI Oscillator for SPGI moved out of oversold territory on February 24, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 27 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In of the 27 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for SPGI just turned positive on February 25, 2026. Looking at past instances where SPGI's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 41 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SPGI advanced for three days, in of 370 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
SPGI may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 62 cases where SPGI's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on March 12, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on SPGI as a result. In of 86 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The 10-day moving average for SPGI crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on February 05, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 12 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The 50-day moving average for SPGI moved below the 200-day moving average on February 10, 2026. This could be a long-term bearish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SPGI declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for SPGI entered a downward trend on February 24, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly weaker than average sales and a marginally profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. SPGI’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. SPGI’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 69, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (4.117) is normal, around the industry mean (5.484). P/E Ratio (29.261) is within average values for comparable stocks, (29.032). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.516) is also within normal values, averaging (2.993). SPGI has a moderately low Dividend Yield (0.009) as compared to the industry average of (0.025). P/S Ratio (8.532) is also within normal values, averaging (9.104).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
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