NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continued market volatility and uncertainty about the direction of both the domestic and global economies has many investors and advisors looking to avoid risk while adding exposure to quality stocks with growth and income potential. With this in mind, on October 10, 2012 at 4:15PM, S&P Capital IQ is hosting a webinar entitled "High Quality Ranks & ETF Plays" focused on high "Quality Ranked" stocks*, and the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that hold them.

This webinar is the latest in S&P Capital IQ's monthly ETF Analyst Hour series and one hour of CFP continuing education credit is available to attendees. Interested attendees can register here: http://ow.ly/dXdP3 

"Quality Rank is a proprietary S&P Capital IQ measurement of the growth and stability of a company's earnings and dividends over the past 10 years," explains Richard Tortoriello, aerospace & defense equity analyst and author of the bi-annual Quality Trends report.

Tortoriello will lead the discussion on the 10^th, which will include answers to the following questions:

• What common characteristics do high Quality Ranked stocks share?
• Where are we in the Quality rotation cycle?
• Where do dividends come into play in the measurement of high Quality Ranked stocks?

Tortoriello will be joined by Todd Rosenbluth, ETF analyst and one of architects of the firm's proprietary ETF research and ranking methodology, who will share:

• Examples of ETFs that own high Quality Ranked stocks.
• ETF investment strategies based on Tortoriello's findings.

Anthony Hohmann, ETF product manager, will moderate the discussion and highlight S&P Capital IQ's ETF research methodology and ETF model portfolio performance.

Following the presentation, the ETF research reports of the ETFs discussed will be available to all attendees. The ETF reports are originally published on S&P Capital IQ's MarketScope Advisor platform.

Follow @spmarketscope and #ETFHour during the webinar for up-to-the-second ETF commentary from S&P Capital IQ equity analysts.

* S&P Capital IQ defines high Quality Ranking issues as those with S&P Quality Rankings of A+, A, and A- and low Quality Ranking issues as those with S&P Quality Rankings of B, B-, C, and D.  Companies with a B+ Quality Ranking are considered average.  S&P Quality Rankings, also called S&P Earnings & Dividend Rankings, have been in use by long-term investors since 1956.

About S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ, a business line of the McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading provider of multi-asset class and real time data, research and analytics to institutional investors, investment and commercial banks, investment advisors and wealth managers, corporations and universities around the world. We provide a broad suite of capabilities designed to help track performance, generate alpha, identify new trading and investment ideas, and perform risk analysis and mitigation strategies. Through leading desktop solutions such as Capital IQ, Global Credit Portal and MarketScope Advisor desktops; enterprise solutions such as S&P Valuations, and Compustat; and research offerings, including Leveraged Commentary & Data, Global Market Intelligence, and company and fund research, S&P Capital IQ sharpens financial intelligence into the wisdom today's investors need.  For more information visit www.spcapitaliq.com.

For more information contact:
Marc Eiger, Communications, Tel.: 212-438-1280
marc_eiger@spcapitaliq.com

SOURCE S&P Capital IQ