NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) today reported third quarter 2019 results with revenue of $1,689 million, an increase of 9% compared to the same period last year.  Net income increased 25% to $617 million and diluted earnings per share increased 28% to $2.50 primarily due to revenue growth, continued progress toward productivity initiative targets, and gains from the divestments of RigData and Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC ("SPIAS").  Adjusted net income increased 13% to $606 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 16% to $2.46 due to revenue growth and continued progress toward productivity initiative targets. The adjustments in the third quarter of 2019 were associated with gains on divestments as well as deal-related amortization and Kensho retention-related expenses.

"The diversity of our businesses was evident again this quarter as our Ratings and Indices divisions led growth due to an increase in bond issuance and growth in ETF assets under management coupled with increased exchange-traded derivative activity," said Douglas L. Peterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of S&P Global.  "In addition to this strong growth, we launched several new technology-driven products including Textual Data Analytics and Kensho's Scribe, which add new capabilities to our earnings call transcript business.  New ESG-related products include Climate Risk Analysis by Trucost, the launch of Platts low-sulfur marine fuel futures contracts, and the launch of E-mini S&P 500 ESG Futures contracts.  These financial results and new product launches demonstrate our continued execution on our investment and productivity initiatives."

Profit Margin: The Company's operating profit margin increased 720 basis points to 52.7% primarily due to revenue growth, continued progress toward productivity initiative targets, and gains from the divestments of RigData and SPIAS as well as lease impairments and restructuring charges in the prior period. The adjusted operating profit margin increased 230 basis points to 51.9% due to revenue growth and continued progress toward productivity initiative targets.

Return of Capital:  During the third quarter, the Company returned $640 million to shareholders: $500 million in share repurchases through an ASR that was initiated in August and $140 million in dividends.

Ratings:  Revenue increased 13% to $789 million in the third quarter primarily due to strong high-yield issuance in the U.S. and Europe coupled with strong U.S. investment-grade issuance.  Transaction revenue increased 25% to $402 million with robust debt rating activity and an increase in bank loan rating activity.  Non-transaction revenue increased 2% to $387 million.

Operating profit increased 19% to $472 million and the operating profit margin improved 330 basis points to 59.8% compared to the third quarter of 2018.  Adjusted operating profit increased 19% to $472 million and the adjusted operating profit margin improved 340 basis points to 59.9%.

S&P Dow Jones Indices:  S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is a majority-owned subsidiary.  The consolidated results are included in S&P Global's income statement and the portion related to the 27% noncontrolling interest is removed in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests.

Revenue increased 14% to $232 million in the third quarter of 2019 due primarily to a 17% gain in asset-linked fees and a 12% increase in exchange-traded derivative fees.

Asset-linked fees include fees associated with ETFs, mutual funds, and certain over-the-counter derivatives.  Revenue from ETFs is the largest component of asset-linked fees, and average ETF AUM associated with the Company's indices increased 5% year-over-year.

Operating profit increased 19% to $161 million and the operating profit margin increased 280 basis points to 69.5%.  Adjusted operating profit increased 19% to $163 million and the adjusted operating profit margin improved 280 basis points to 70.1%.  Operating profit attributable to the Company increased 19% to $118 million.  Adjusted operating profit attributable to the Company increased 19% to $120 million.

Market Intelligence:  Revenue increased 5% to $488 million in the third quarter of 2019 with solid growth in Data Management Solutions, Credit Risk Solutions, and Desktop.  Quarterly operating profit increased 17% to $171 million and the operating profit margin improved 370 basis points to 35.1% as revenue growth and a gain on the divestiture of the SPIAS business outpaced expenses.  Adjusted operating profit declined slightly to $167 million.  Adjusted operating profit margin declined 160 basis points to 34.3% as investment spending increased compared to the third quarter of 2018.

Platts:  Revenue increased 4% to $212 million with growth in both the core subscription business and Global Trading Services.  Quarterly operating profit increased 35% to $132 million and the operating profit margin increased 1,420 basis points to 62.3% primarily due to the gain on the divestiture of RigData.  Adjusted operating profit increased 5% to $107 million and adjusted operating profit margin increased 40 basis points to 50.7%.

Corporate Unallocated:  Corporate Unallocated includes non-allocated corporate expenses; however, the third quarter of 2018 also includes Kensho revenue which, starting in 2019, is now included in Market Intelligence. The loss in Corporate Unallocated improved from $(71) million in the prior period to $(45) million as the prior period included lease impairments and restructuring expenses.  In addition, there was a reduction in Kensho expenses.  The loss in Adjusted Corporate Unallocated improved from $(35) million to $(33) million due primarily to reduced project spending.

Provision for Income Taxes:  The Company's effective tax rates in the third quarter of 2019 and 2018 were 22.2% and 20.4%, respectively.  The Company's adjusted effective tax rate increased to 22.2% in the third quarter of 2019 compared to 21.9% in the same period last year.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow:  Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of the third quarter were $2.0 billion. In the first nine months of 2019, cash provided by operating activities was $1,772 million, cash used for investing activities was $20 million, and cash used for financing activities was $1,684 million.  Free cash flow was $1,595 million, an increase of $398 million from the same period in 2018, primarily due to an increase in net income and the payment of a legal settlement in the prior period.  Free cash flow, excluding certain items, was $1,647 million.

Outlook:  The Company's 2019 GAAP diluted EPS guidance is increased from a range of $8.20 to $8.35 to a new range of $8.56 to $8.66 due to gains on recent divestitures, increased revenue and operating profit margin, and lower corporate unallocated expense.  Adjusted diluted EPS guidance is increased from a range of $9.10 to $9.25 to a new range of $9.30 to $9.40 due to increased revenue and operating profit margin, and lower corporate unallocated expense.

Comparison of Adjusted Information to U.S. GAAP Information:  The Company reports its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). The Company also refers to and presents certain additional non-GAAP financial measures, within the meaning of Regulation G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These measures are: adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted net income, adjusted operating profit and margin, organic revenue, adjusted Corporate Unallocated, adjusted effective tax rates, adjusted diluted EPS guidance, free cash flow, and free cash flow excluding certain items. The Company has included reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP on Exhibits 5, 7 and 8. The Company's non-GAAP measures include adjustments that reflect how management views our businesses. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that, in the case of non-GAAP financial measures other than free cash flow and free cash flow excluding certain items, enables investors to better compare the Company's performance across periods, and management also uses these measures internally to assess the operating performance of its business, to assess performance for employee compensation purposes, and to decide how to allocate resources. The Company believes that the presentation of free cash flow and free cash flow excluding certain items allows investors to evaluate the cash generated from our underlying operations in a manner similar to the method used by management and that such measures are useful in evaluating the cash available to us to prepay debt, make strategic acquisitions and investments, and repurchase stock. However, investors should not consider any of these non-GAAP measures in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the financial information that the Company reports.

Conference Call/Webcast Details:  The Company's senior management will review the third quarter 2019 earnings results on a conference call scheduled for today, October 29, at 8:30 a.m. EDT.  Additional information presented on the conference call may be made available on the Company's Investor Relations Website at http://investor.spglobal.com.

The Webcast will be available live and in replay at http://investor.spglobal.com/CustomPage/Index?KeyGenPage=1073751596&event=1073751879.  (Please copy and paste URL into Web browser.)

Telephone access is available. U.S. participants may call (888) 603-9623; international participants may call +1 (630) 395-0220 (long distance charges will apply). The passcode is "S&P Global" and the conference leader is Douglas Peterson. A recorded telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the meeting concludes and will remain available until November 29, 2019. U.S. participants may call (800) 925-0943; international participants may call +1 (203) 369-3380 (long distance charges will apply). No passcode is required.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements, which express management's current views concerning future events, trends, contingencies or results, appear at various places in this report and use words like "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "intend," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "strategy," "target" and similar terms, and future or conditional tense verbs like "could," "may," "might," "should," "will" and "would." For example, management may use forward-looking statements when addressing topics such as: the outcome of contingencies; future actions by regulators; changes in the Company's business strategies and methods of generating revenue; the development and performance of the Company's services and products; the expected impact of acquisitions and dispositions; the Company's effective tax rates; and the Company's cost structure, dividend policy, cash flows or liquidity.

Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements include, among other things:

• worldwide economic, financial, political and regulatory conditions, including geopolitical uncertainty and conditions that may result from legislative, regulatory, trade and policy changes associated with the current U.S. administration or the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union;
• the rapidly evolving regulatory environment, in Europe, the United States and elsewhere, affecting S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Platts, S&P Dow Jones Indices, and S&P Global Market Intelligence, including new and amended regulations and the Company's compliance therewith;
• the impact of the recent acquisition of Kensho, including the impact on the Company's results of operations; any failure to successfully integrate Kensho into the Company's operations; any failure to attract and retain key employees; and the risk of litigation, unexpected costs, charges or expenses relating to the acquisition;
• the Company's ability to maintain adequate physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect the security of confidential information and data, and the potential of a system or network disruption that results in regulatory penalties, remedial costs, or improper disclosure of confidential information or data;
• our ability to make acquisitions and dispositions and successfully integrate the businesses we acquire;
• the outcome of litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries;
• the health of debt and equity markets, including credit quality and spreads, the level of liquidity and future debt issuances and the potentially adverse impact of increased access to cash resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act;
• the demand and market for credit ratings in and across the sectors and geographies where the Company operates;
• concerns in the marketplace affecting the Company's credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent credit ratings, benchmarks and indices;
• the effect of competitive products and pricing, including the level of success of new product developments and global expansion;
• consolidation in the Company's end-customer markets;
• the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies;
• the impact of customer cost-cutting pressures, including in the financial services industry and the commodities markets;
• a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions;
• the level of merger and acquisition activity in the United States and abroad;
• the volatility of the energy marketplace;
• the health of the commodities markets;
• our ability to attract, incentivize and retain key employees;
• our ability to adjust to changes in European and United Kingdom markets as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, the impact of the United Kingdom's departure on our offerings in the European Union, and the impact of the United Kingdom's departure on our credit rating activities and other European and United Kingdom offerings, particularly in the event of the United Kingdom's departure without an agreement on terms with the European Union;
• the Company's ability to successfully recover should it experience a disaster or other business continuity problem from a hurricane, flood, earthquake, terrorist attack, pandemic, security breach, cyber-attack, power loss, telecommunications failure or other natural or man-made event;
• changes in applicable tax or accounting requirements, including the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the U.S.;
• the level of the Company's future cash flows and capital investments;
• the impact on the Company's revenue and net income caused by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; and
• the Company's exposure to potential criminal sanctions or civil penalties for noncompliance with foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that are applicable in the domestic and international jurisdictions in which it operates, including sanctions laws relating to countries such as Iran, Russia, Sudan and Syria, anti-corruption laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials, as well as import and export restrictions.

The factors noted above are not exhaustive. The Company and its subsidiaries operate in a dynamic business environment in which new risks emerge frequently. Accordingly, the Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it is made, except as required by applicable law. Further information about the Company's businesses, including information about factors that could materially affect its results of operations and financial condition, is contained in the Company's filings with the SEC, including the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

About S&P Global
S&P Global is a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. The Company's divisions include S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Market Intelligence, S&P Dow Jones Indices and S&P Global Platts. S&P Global has approximately 21,000 employees in 33 countries. For more information visit www.spglobal.com.

Investor Relations:  http://investor.spglobal.com

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Contact:

Investor Relations:
Chip Merritt
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
(212) 438-4321 (office)
chip.merritt@spglobal.com

News Media:
Jason Feuchtwanger
(212) 438-1247 (office)
jason.feuchtwanger@spglobal.com

Christopher Krantz
Lead, Executive Communications
+44 (0) 20 7176 0060 (office)
christopher.krantz@spglobal.com