cNew York, Feb 16, 2026, 14:13 EST — Market closed.
- S&P Global finished Friday at $409.54, climbing 3.1%.
- U.S. markets are closed Monday for Presidents Day, with trading set to pick up again on Tuesday.
- S&P Global’s 2026 outlook landed, and investors are still working through what it means—especially as AI keeps rattling the data and analytics names.
S&P Global Inc. (SPGI) finished Friday at $409.54, a gain of $12.34, or 3.1%. Shares ranged from $399.15 to $410.40 during the session. Volume hit roughly 4.74 million, according to company price data.
With U.S. stock markets shuttered Monday for Presidents Day, traders will have to wait until Tuesday to get their next cue on risk appetite.
SPGI wasn’t alone on Friday—Moody’s and MSCI logged gains too, even as the broader indexes barely budged. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.05% rise, and the Dow managed a 0.10% uptick, according to MarketWatch data.
The real pressure came from behind the scenes. S&P Global, back on Feb. 10, projected its 2026 adjusted earnings per share at $19.40 to $19.65—a range that missed what analysts were looking for. The stock promptly dropped 9.7%.
Board member Hubert Joly picked up 2,500 shares on Feb. 11 at about $399 apiece, according to a Form 4 filed Feb. 12. That move takes his direct stake up to 2,665 shares.
The decline didn’t happen in isolation. The “AI scare trade” that’s been rattling software stocks lately has now crept into financial-data and analytics, as investors hunt for sectors vulnerable to automation. Barclays strategist Emmanuel Cau put it plainly: “investors remain in ‘sell first think later’ mode.” Over at Dakota Wealth, Robert Pavlik noted that some traders are betting AI will “replace built-out models” at a rapid clip. Reuters
S&P Global is pitching AI as a supplement, not a replacement. “We don’t allow the LLM providers to train on S&P Global data,” CEO Martina Cheung told analysts on the earnings call, describing those large language model platforms as simply new distribution options. Management highlighted some efficiency wins from automation. They also flagged that “billed issuance”—the dollar value of debt deals billed for ratings—remains sensitive to volatility. The company is also prepping a Form 10 filing for its planned Mobility spin-off in the second quarter. The Motley Fool
Macro’s in focus next. S&P Global’s “flash PMI” for February hits on Feb. 20—a survey tracking business activity that traders watch closely. The numbers can jolt rate expectations and set the tone for new issuance.
Still, the rebound isn’t locked in. If bond and loan markets seize up again, transaction-based ratings fees take a hit. And if financial-services spending drops further, subscription growth could get squeezed.
Investors eyeing dividends are watching SPGI, which is set to go ex-dividend on Feb. 25. That’s when the stock begins trading without rights to the upcoming $0.97 quarterly payout, scheduled for March 11, the company said.
Traders eye Tuesday’s open—the first after the holiday break—as an initial checkpoint. Next up: Feb. 20 brings the flash PMI numbers.
