Unlocking the Value of S&P Capital IQ: Products and Services Explained

S&P Capital IQ is the research arm of S&P Global, a major provider of ratings, data, and indices. S&P Capital IQ offers in-depth stock market research to various investors. Products and services include Compustat and Xpressfeed.

More than 135 billion data points are analyzed yearly, catering to various financial professionals. Its acquisitions have expanded global presence and innovation in financial analytics.

History and Evolution of S&P Capital IQ

Capital IQ, founded in 1999, began as a software and market analytics provider. It was sold to publisher McGraw-Hill Financial in 2004 for more than $200 million. In 2016, McGraw-Hill Financial became S&P Global, and Capital IQ was renamed S&P Capital IQ.

Standard & Poor’s was established in 1941 and has grown to become the world’s leading index provider and independent credit rating source. After its 2004 acquisition by Standard & Poor's, the company expanded globally, operating in over 20 countries from its New York City headquarters. The company has made several key acquisitions to grow and expand. These include the acquisition of Heale Financial in 2006 for $13 million and ClariFI, Inc. for $87 million in 2007.

Features and Functions of S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ's web portal offers software and data feeds to firms, banks, corporations, and investors, helping them develop informed investment strategies.

Every year, S&P Capital IQ collects and analyzes more than 135 billion data points in order to serve as the leading provider of financial services research. The data S&P Capital IQ collects and reports to its users includes company profiles, executive summaries, financial information, and independent analyst reports.

Analyzing Data With S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ researches financial news, market trends, company performance, and sector data. The firm provides subscribers with intelligence on more than 62,000 public companies and 4.4 million private firms. According to the company's website, it covers financials for 88,000 publicly-listed companies or 99% of global market capitalization.

Additionally, S&P Capital IQ researches and analyzes more complex investment structures, including mutual funds and hedge funds, providing investors with up-to-date performance comparisons, insights, and fund strategies.

Capital IQ's widespread approach to market analysis provides information that can be valuable to investors of all types, ranging from large institutional traders to smaller, individual investors, and financial hobbyists.

Exploring S&P Capital IQ Products and Services  

The web portal for Capital IQ’s products offers many powerful tools for institutional and individual investors alike. These tools give users the ability to gain broad market understanding through the use of its various features, including market snapshots, industry and sub-industry reviews, surveys, and general economic insights.

Major products of the Capital IQ platform include Compustat, Xpressfeed, and Money Market Directories (MMD). Together, this suite of tools provides users access to desktop research, screening, real-time market data, backtesting, portfolio management, financial modeling, and quantitative analysis through web-based and Excel-based applications.

Compustat, one of Standard & Poor's flagship services, has provided financial and statistical market data since 1962, and the Xpressfeed service is a formatting and delivery method of the Compustat database that permits users the ability to access and interpret real-time market data using their own tools. Money Market Directories are a powerful prospecting tool, offering comprehensive, global insights into foundations, endowments, and similar funding sources.

The Bottom Line

S&P Capital IQ is the research arm of S&P Global, providing crucial financial analysis and intelligence to various stakeholders, including advisory firms, banks, and investment managers. Capital IQ acquired McGraw-Hill Financial in 2004 and the subsequently rebranded to S&P Global in 2016, becoming a global presence.

The comprehensive suite of tools available through S&P Capital IQ's platform include Compustat, Xpressfeed, and Money Market Directories, which aid in market analysis and financial modeling. S&P Capital IQ's is capable of analyzing over 135 billion data points annually to provide users with in-depth research, including company performance data and sector-specific insights.

The information provided by S&P Capital IQ can empower you to better interpret financial markets, aiding in informed decision-making for your investment strategies.