New York, February 14, 2026, 19:38 EST — Market’s done for the day.
S&P Global Inc. finished Friday up 3.11% at $409.54, marking a second consecutive gain and easily beating the broader market, which was little changed. About 4.7 million shares changed hands—close to twice the 50-day average. Moody’s picked up 2.73%, while MSCI climbed 1.13%. MarketWatch
After a rough February rout, the sector is clawing back some ground. Investors had been unloading chunks of the software-and-data universe, spooked by worries that rapid-fire AI innovation could eat into established players’ pricing muscle. S&P Global? Down over 25% since the start of the month, Reuters noted—heading for its sharpest monthly decline since 2009. Barclays’ Emmanual Cau summed up the mood: “sell first think later.” Reuters
Hubert Joly, a board member, snapped up 2,500 shares at roughly $399 apiece on Feb. 11, stepping in close to the recent lows, according to a Form 4 filing. U.S. markets approach a shortened week with Wall Street shut down Monday for Presidents Day. SEC
The action on Friday mirrored a swing in rates, as Treasury yields declined following January’s U.S. consumer price data. Prices rose 2.4% from a year earlier—softer than the 2.5% jump forecast by a Reuters poll. “A bit of good news as we head into the long holiday weekend,” said Tim Holland at Orion. Reuters
Since dropping its 2026 outlook along with quarterly numbers earlier this week, S&P Global has been moving to recalibrate Wall Street’s expectations. The firm put out a forecast for adjusted diluted earnings per share between $19.40 and $19.65 for 2026, plus organic constant-currency revenue growth pegged at 6% to 8%. “We delivered a strong quarter driven by performance in all divisions,” CEO Martina Cheung said. SEC
These figures are crucial: segments of S&P Global’s business depend directly on market swings. Ratings transaction revenue moves in step with debt issuance, and the index division’s fortunes are hitched to the volume of assets following its benchmarks, plus trading in related exchange-traded derivatives.
Friday’s jump doesn’t put to rest the broader questions about AI disruption risks for data-centric firms. Should clients start cutting back on subscriptions or if bond issuance loses steam, the stock’s valuation may come under renewed scrutiny — and another wave of AI-fueled negative sentiment could drag the group back down.
Markets are waiting on several key economic updates once trading gets underway again. The Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes land Wednesday, Feb. 18. Then, on Friday, Feb. 20, S&P Global releases “flash” PMI numbers—a preliminary snapshot of business activity—alongside U.S. advance fourth-quarter GDP and the core PCE price index, which the Fed watches closely for inflation signals. spglobal.com
