NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemical and metals information and a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (NYSE:  MHP), today completed its acquisition of Kingsman SA, a privately-held, Switzerland-based provider of price information and analytics for the global sugar and biofuels markets.  The acquisition, whose purchase price was not disclosed, was announced on October 11. 

"The acquisition of Kingsman broadens Platts' capabilities in biofuels, provides an entry to the agriculture markets, and adds widely respected skills in fundamental market analysis," said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer for The McGraw-Hill Companies. 

A leading information provider for the sugar markets, Kingsman offers a range of daily, weekly and monthly reports covering ethanol and biodiesel as well as sugar.  As a unit of Platts' new agricultural group, Kingsman will continue to offer its existing product portfolio under the Kingsman brand and under the day-to-day leadership of its founder Jonathan Kingsman. 

Founded in 1990 and based in Lausanne, Kingsman employs analysts, researchers and report writers in key markets including Bangkok, London, Montreal, New Delhi and Sao Paulo.  It serves a global clientele of producers, traders, refiners, financial institutions and end-users, offering a variety of subscription publications covering sugar, ethanol and biodiesel.

"Kingsman's prime focus on market analysis, supply and demand fundamentals and trade flows complements Platts' long-standing expertise in reporting news, assessing prices and explaining the factors driving those prices," said Larry Neal, president of Platts. 

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals intelligence and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, and shipping markets. A division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Platts is headquartered in New York with approximately 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, J.D. Power and Associates and Platts, a leader in commodities information.  With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Contacts:

Investor Relations:
Chip Merritt, Vice President, Investor Relations 
(212) 512-4321 (office) 
chip_merritt@mcgraw-hill.com

News Media: 
Patti Rockenwagner, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications 
McGraw-Hill
(212) 512-3533 (office) 
patti_rockenwagner@mcgraw-hill.com

Platts News Media:
Pat Wood, Senior Director, Communications
+1 212-904-3122 office
+1 347-331-5941 cellular
pat_wood@platts.com

SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Companies