16 Best Income Stocks To Buy According to Analysts

11. S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

Upside Potential as of December 13: 14.36%

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) is an American capital market company that specializes in financial information and analytics. The company seeks to maintain a diversified revenue stream by leveraging different segments such as Ratings, Market Intelligence, Commodity Insights, and Indices, ensuring growth and stability even in volatile markets. It has recently focused on technological innovation, integrating generative AI and launching tools like ChatAI. Furthermore, strategic moves like divesting PrimeOne and acquiring Visible Alpha have strengthened its portfolio and reinforced its core capabilities. Since the start of 2024, the stock has surged by nearly 16%.

In Q3 2024, S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) reported revenues of $3.6 billion, reflecting a 16% increase compared to the same quarter last year. The company continues to benefit from the steady cash flow generated by its data and analytics division, in addition to its ratings segment. Year-to-date, the company has generated nearly $4 billion in operating cash flow, a significant rise from $2.4 billion during the same period in the previous year.

Aristotle Atlantic Partners, LLC highlighted S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)’s strong performance in its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) contributed to portfolio performance in the third quarter, driven by growth in corporate bond issuance and refinancing activity, with expectations for further acceleration if interest rates decline. The company has also achieved better-than-expected expense and revenue synergies from its acquisition of IHS Markit.”

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) is a reliable investment for income investors as the company has raised its payouts for 52 years in a row. Its current quarterly dividend comes in at $0.91 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.72%, as of December 13.

At the end of the third quarter of 2024, 85 hedge funds held stakes in S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI), compared with 90 in the previous quarter, as per Insider Monkey’s database. These stakes are collectively valued at over $9.8 billion. With more than 10.4 million shares, TCI Fund Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3.