S&P Capital IQ

Key takeaways

• S&P Capital IQ is the research and data arm of S&P Global, supplying financial data, analytics, and research to institutional and professional investors.
• The platform aggregates and analyzes massive datasets—more than 135 billion data points annually—to support investment decision‑making.
• It covers intelligence on tens of thousands of companies (over 62,000 public and 4.4 million private firms) and financials for roughly 88,000 listed companies, representing about 99% of global market capitalization.
• Major product components include Compustat, Xpressfeed, and Money Market Directories, delivered via web and Excel interfaces.

Overview

S&P Capital IQ provides detailed market research, company financials, and analytics that help users evaluate companies, industries, funds, and broader market trends. Its services are designed to support investment research, valuation, portfolio management, due diligence, and quantitative analysis.

History and ownership

Originally launched as Capital IQ in 1999, the company was acquired by McGraw‑Hill Financial in 2004. McGraw‑Hill Financial later rebranded as S&P Global, and the product is now offered as S&P Capital IQ. Over time the franchise expanded through acquisitions and internal development to become a core data and research offering within S&P Global.

Data coverage and how it works

S&P Capital IQ collects and standardizes data from a wide variety of sources, producing company profiles, executive information, financial statements, analyst reports, and sector research. The platform processes and updates billions of data points annually, enabling users to:
* Screen and filter companies and securities by financial and operating metrics
Access historical and real‑time market data
Compare fund and manager performance for mutual funds and hedge funds
* Generate customized reports and feeds for internal systems

Subscribers access this content through a web portal, APIs, and Excel add‑ins, allowing integration with internal models and workflows.

Main products and features

• Compustat — A long‑standing database of financial and statistical market data used for research and modeling.
• Xpressfeed — A delivery and formatting service that lets clients receive Compustat and other S&P datasets in formats compatible with their systems and models.
• Money Market Directories (MMD) — A prospecting and fundraising intelligence tool with global coverage of foundations, endowments, and other funding sources.
• Analytics and tools — Screening, backtesting, portfolio management, financial modeling, and quantitative research capabilities available via web and Excel interfaces.
• Research and reports — Independent analyst notes, sector overviews, and company-level insights.

Typical users and use cases

S&P Capital IQ serves a broad set of professional users, including:
* Investment banks and advisory firms conducting valuation and transaction work
Asset managers and hedge funds performing security selection, risk analysis, and backtesting
Private equity and corporate development teams doing due diligence and benchmarking
* Universities and research institutions requiring historical market data and standardized datasets

Conclusion

S&P Capital IQ is a comprehensive suite of data, research, and analytics targeted primarily at professional and institutional investors. Its scale of data collection and integration, combined with delivery options (web, API, Excel), makes it a widely used resource for financial modeling, investment research, and portfolio analytics.