What is Standard & Poor's (S&P Global)?

What is Standard & Poor’s? Standard & Poor’s, also known as S&P Global, is an American company that dates back to the mid-1800s. The company began by producing a series of railroad guides for investors written by a man named Henry Varnum Poor.

Is Standard & Poor's a good credit rating?

Standard & Poor's is one of the largest credit rating agencies, assigning letter grades to companies and countries and the debt they issue on a scale of AAA to D, indicating their degree of investment risk. The popular S&P 500 Index is perhaps Standard & Poor's best-known product.

When did Standard & Poor's become a company?

In 1923, it released its first stock market indicator, which contained 233 companies. Poor's Publishing, meanwhile, issued its first rating in 1916. The two firms merged in 1941, to create Standard & Poor's. The McGraw-Hill Cos. purchased S&P in 1966.

How do Standard & Poor's ratings work?

Standard & Poor’s ratings are created by financial analysts who scour annual reports, news articles, business journals and more to glean information on a company or government. They also gather information from chief financial officers (CFOs) and other financial professionals at each company to gain a fuller scope of the company’s financial health.