NEW YORK, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For a third straight year, Lou Eccleston, President, S&P Capital IQ, and Chairman of the Board, S&P Dow Jones Indices, has been named by Institutional Investor among its "Tech 50", a prestigious list of financial services industry leaders at the forefront of financial technology innovation. The list appears in the magazine's current issue.  In Institutional Investor's latest ranking, Eccleston moves up from #27 in 2013 to #21 in 2014.

Noting Institutional Investor's recognition of S&P Capital IQ's development of its own code, called IQ Language, for unlocking the power of its data with differentiated analytics, Eccleston said, "This award is a testament to the enormous amount of transformational and innovative work our entire organization has accomplished in the last three years.  In addition, it is an important acknowledgement of the talented and creative technology team we have built.  Together, we are developing new technologies and products that will provide our clients with the analytics power to capitalize on opportunities and manage risk."

The "Tech 50" ranking was compiled by Institutional Investor's editors and staff, with nominations and input from industry participants and experts.  Four primary sets of attributes are evaluated: achievements and contributions over the course of a career; scope and complexity of responsibilities; influence and leadership inside and outside the organization; and pure technological innovation.

This year's "Tech 50" award comes on the heels of other recent industry recognition S&P Capital IQ has received for the quality of its research, data and platforms, including:  

• S&P Capital IQ was named best Real-Time Data Specialist of the Year in May by U.K.-based AI Global Media, Acquisition International Magazine, and DealFlow Source. Voted for by a global network of expert M&A professionals, advisers, clients, peers and industry insiders, the awards celebrate excellence in all areas of M&A, recognizing not only individual deal success but also firms and individuals behind the scenes whose efforts and expertise have contributed to the increase in global M&A activity over the past year.
• Also in May, the firm was honored at Inside Market Data's Annual Awards program by winning in two major and highly competitive categories, "Best Analytics Provider" and "Best Research Provider" for 2014. This honor marks the fifth year in a row that the firm's Compustat product was singled out for the Best Analytics Provider award. In being named "Best Research Provider for the Year" S&P Capital IQ broke Thomson Reuters' previous nine-year winning streak.
• Finally, in April 2014, for the work it is doing to expand the availability of key data and insights that help advance deal making opportunities, S&P Capital IQ was voted 2013's Best M&A Product of the Year by M&A Advisor, a professional organization that honors achievement and thought leadership among the world's leading financial deal makers.

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. S&P Capital IQ provides 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. 

SOURCE S&P Capital IQ