NEW YORK, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Capital IQ, a business unit of McGraw-Hill Financial (NYSE:MHFI), today announced the launch of S&P Credit Solutions, a new business line  that enables investors to leverage the combined data, research and analytics capabilities of both Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and S&P Capital IQ. Neil R. Smith has joined S&P Capital IQ to lead the new business.

"S&P Credit Solutions brings together market-leading credit ratings data along with comprehensive analytics, company research and related data, all delivered via a single source across a flexible range of platforms," said Lou Eccleston, President, S&P Capital IQ.  "In hiring an entrepreneurial business builder like Neil Smith to lead this new initiative, we are making a clear statement to the marketplace that we intend to set the new industry standard for credit data and analytics."

"The ability to integrate our credit ratings data with the proven analytics and research capabilities of S&P Capital IQ creates a truly unparalleled opportunity for market participants to gain the deepest possible insight into credit quality," said Neeraj Sahai, President, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. "The investment intelligence that will come from this pairing of resources will be an enormously powerful asset to financial markets."

Neil Smith has a long record of accomplishment building new businesses and successfully expanding existing ones.  For the last three years he was Managing Director and Global Head of Products at Fitch Solutions. Previously, he was Managing Director and Business Group Manager at the Bank of New York Mellon.  Earlier positions include senior management roles at Citigroup Alternative Investments in New York and Citigroup Credit Structures in London. Mr. Smith earned an MBA from Cass Business School (London) and a BA in Economics and Politics from the University of Western Australia (Perth).

S&P Credit Solutions is a distinct business line within S&P Capital IQ and is fully dedicated to the commercial distribution of the ratings intellectual property of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.  It will distribute credit ratings and related data, analytics and research via direct data feeds, desktop platforms and web-based portals. It is made up of approximately 120 individuals in several centers around the world operating separately and independently from any other business within McGraw Hill Financial. 

About S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ, a business unit of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE:MHFI), 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, and identify new trading and investment ideas, and perform risk analysis and mitigation strategies. Through leading desktop solutions such as the S&P Capital IQ, Global Credit Portal and MarketScope Advisor desktops; enterprise solutions such as S&P Capital IQ Valuations; and research offerings, including Leveraged Commentary & Data, Global Markets Intelligence, and company and funds research, S&P Capital IQ sharpens financial intelligence into the wisdom today's investors need. For more information visit: www.spcapitaliq.com.

About Standard & Poor's Ratings Services

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, part of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), is the world's leading provider of independent credit risk research and benchmarks. We publish more than a million credit ratings on debt issued by sovereign, municipal, corporate and financial sector entities. With over 1,400 credit analysts in 25 countries, and more than 150 years' experience of assessing credit risk, we offer a unique combination of global coverage and local insight. Our research and opinions about relative credit risk provide market participants with information and independent benchmarks that help to support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.

SOURCE S&P Capital IQ