Good morning, welcome to S&P Global's 2026 Annual Shareholders Meeting. I'd like to inform you that this meeting is being webcast. All participants are in a listen-only mode. The meeting is being recorded. I'd now like to introduce Judah Bareli, Corporate Secretary of S&P Global. Mr. Bareli, you may begin.
Good morning. My name is Judah Bareli, and I am the Corporate Secretary of S&P Global. It is my pleasure to welcome you to our 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Before passing the meeting over to our President and Chief Executive Officer, Martina Cheung, who will provide an update on the company, I am going to briefly address some of the virtual meeting logistics and provide some introductory remarks regarding the information presented during today's meeting. You will be able to submit written questions through the virtual meeting website. On the site, click the Q&A icon, type your questions in the field provided, and hit the send button to submit your question. Shareholders may submit questions online at any time. In the interest of a productive and orderly meeting, please consult the 2026 Annual Meeting Rules of Conduct, available under the Documents section of the virtual meeting center screen.
For guidelines and additional information regarding the process for submitting questions online. We appreciate your participation and courtesy in observing these rules of conduct. After the formal portion of the meeting is adjourned, we will have a brief Q&A session. We will answer as many questions that comply with the posted rules of conduct as time permits. With that, let me turn the meeting over to our President and Chief Executive Officer, Martina Cheung.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining our annual meeting. 2025 was a year of strong execution for S&P Global. We delivered excellent results and advanced our strategic priorities. We launched our medium-term strategy centered on three objectives: advance our market leadership, expand into high-growth adjacencies, and amplify our enterprise capabilities and AI. We are delivering on our strategy under our mission of advancing essential intelligence. On a year-over-year basis, revenue increased 8%, and adjusted operating margin expanded 140 basis points, while adjusted diluted EPS grew 14%. This performance reflects robust demand for our benchmarks, data, and analytics. We remained highly disciplined in capital allocation, returning 113% of our adjusted free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. We are a trusted partner to our customers, and that trust underpins the demand we see across our businesses.
Our benchmarks and proprietary data enable our customers to make critical decisions every day and bring transparency to opaque markets. The message is clear and consistent: S&P Global is uniquely positioned to help our customers to be successful and solve their most complex challenges. For example, we strengthened our position in private markets, one of our high-growth adjacencies. We completed the acquisition of With Intelligence, expanding our private markets data and workflow capabilities, significantly enhanced our iLEVEL platform with new AI features, and launched new private equity benchmarks and indices. We also partnered with Cambridge Associates and Mercer and saw continued growth in private credit ratings. Together, these actions put us well on our way to building the most comprehensive solution set in the world for private markets. At the same time, we invested in enterprise capabilities to drive innovation and efficiencies.
2025 was the first full year for our Enterprise Data Organization and Chief Client Office, and we've already realized material benefits from these initiatives. We unified our data operations within the Enterprise Data Organization to better meet customer needs for flexible delivery and AI-ready data while increasing productivity. The Chief Client Office enabled us to bring the full enterprise value proposition to our clients. It also elevated our engagement beyond business leaders to include their heads of technology, AI, and data science, giving us earlier insight into customers' needs and challenges and enabling us to co-develop new solutions, including through Kensho Labs. As I look back over 2025, we had an excellent year, and we're very pleased with the results we delivered. We delivered strong financial performance and bolstered our capabilities for future growth.
We have a clearly defined strategy, an incredible team, and deeper customer partnerships than ever, all of which give us confidence in S&P Global's long-term success. On behalf of the more than 40,000 colleagues at S&P Global, thank you for your support and partnership. We are confident that the steps we took in 2025 have positioned us well to continue creating value for our customers and shareholders with momentum in how our people are innovating, in our customer engagement, and in our collaborations with technology partners. Before I conclude, I would like to acknowledge Bill Green, who is retiring from our board today. Bill, thank you for your amazing leadership and 15 years of service to S&P Global. I will now turn it back over to our corporate secretary. Judah, please proceed with the meeting.
Thanks, Martina. We will now begin the business portion of today's annual meeting. Please be advised that we have certified lists of the shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 23rd, 2026, who are entitled to vote at this annual shareholders meeting. Such lists are available for inspection by any shareholder using the link at the bottom of the virtual meeting center screen. Copies of the notice of meeting, proxy statement, annual report, rules of conduct, and affidavit of mailing relating to this annual meeting are available in the Documents section of the virtual meeting center screen. The affidavit will also be filed with the records of the annual meeting.
The board of directors has designated a representative of Computershare Trust Company to act as Inspector of Election for the annual meeting. Harold Murphy, a representative of Computershare Trust Company, is available in virtual attendance today. Harold Murphy has been duly sworn in, and his oath will also be filed with the records of the annual meeting. The holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at this annual meeting are represented either in person or by proxy. Mr. Chairman, the annual meeting has been duly convened, a quorum is present, and the business of the annual meeting may proceed. Ladies and gentlemen, I'll now pass the business portion of today's meeting over to our Chairman, Lord Ian Livingston.
Thank you, Judah. Good morning. My name is Ian Livingston, Chairman of S&P Global. With a quorum present, I call the meeting to order. Before we begin the formal part of today's meeting, I would like to introduce our Directors, all of whom are present and in virtual attendance today. In addition to myself and Martina Cheung, who opened the meeting and is a Director as well as President and CEO, I would like to introduce the rest of the Directors, all of whom are independent, who will stand for election today along with Martina and myself. Marco Alverà, Jacques Esculier, Stephanie Hill, Rebecca Jacoby, Hubert Joly, Robert Moritz, Maria Morris, Gregory Washington. It is clear we have a world-class board. All our Directors have broad experience, excellent judgment, and take their fiduciary responsibilities very seriously.
At this time, I would like to echo Martina's remarks about Bill Green, who's retiring from the board today. On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank him for his distinguished service and contribution to the company. He has served the company and our shareholders with integrity and commitment. Bill, thank you. We will now proceed to the formal business of our annual meeting, the purpose of which is to, one, elect 10 directors. Two, approve, on an advisory basis, the executive compensation program for the company's named executive officers as described in the proxy statement. Three, ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2026. Four, vote on a shareholder proposal to reduce the stock ownership threshold for calling a special shareholder meeting. Five, vote on a shareholder proposal to issue a report on the company's charitable support.
Six, consider any other business if properly raised. It is now 8:39 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time on 20th May 2026, and the polls have been opened for voting on all matters. If you have already voted, your vote has been tabulated, and there is no need to vote again. If you have not voted or if you want to change your previously cast vote, please do so by clicking on the Vote tab on the virtual meeting website. The vote link will be available until we announce the closing of the polls after the presentation of all matters for shareholder consideration. Please remember that if you have already sent in a proxy or voted by telephone or over the internet, it is not necessary to vote again. Once the polls close, the Inspector of Elections will provide his preliminary report.
As a reminder, please note that time will be provided to shareholders wishing to ask questions during a general question-and-answer session at the end of the formal portion of today's meeting. The first item to be voted upon is the election of 10 directors, whose names are listed in the proxy statement. The second item to be voted upon is a proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, the executive compensation program for the company's named executive officers, as described in our proxy statement. The third item to be voted upon is a ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2026.
Dan Kilduff, the Ernst & Young partner responsible for S&P Global, is in virtual attendance at today's meeting and is available for questions. The fourth item to be voted upon is a shareholder proposal to reduce the stock ownership threshold for calling a special shareholder meeting. Mr. Chevedden, we will now open the line for you to present the shareholder proposal. In accordance with the annual meeting rules of conduct, two minutes have been allocated for you to present your statement. Mr. Chevedden, you may begin your remarks.
Hello, this is John Chevedden. Proposal four, give shareholders a reasonable ability to call for a special shareholder meeting. Shareholders request the board of directors take the necessary steps to prevent written consent by the shareholders entitled to cast the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize an action or meeting in which all shareholders entitled to vote thereon were present at voting. This includes shareholder ability to initiate any appropriate topic for written consent. S&P Global shareholders have a particular need for the right of 10% of shares to call for a special shareholder meeting because they have no right to act by written consent. According to state law, S&P Global shareholders have a right to act by written consent and the right to call for special shareholder meeting. Both rights allow shareholders to take action between annual meetings.
It is especially important for S&P Global shareholders to have the right for 10% of shares to call for a special shareholder meeting because S&P Global requires the backing of 25% of all shares outstanding call for a special shareholder meeting. The reason that a 25% figure is too high that shareholders at more than 100 companies have had an opportunity to vote on the special shareholder meeting topic, and there has never been even one example produced of a special shareholder meeting ever taking place at any company whatsoever that required 25% of shares to call for a special shareholder meeting. Companies like the 25% figure because they know the 25% figure is more like an insurance policy that a special shareholder meeting will never take place.
It's important to adopt a shareholder right to Because the current S&P Global right to call for a special shareholder meeting is unattainable, and S&P Global shareholders have no right to act by written consent. This is a black mark on Computershare for this meeting. The online platform went dead, and the telephone line went dead. Another black mark for Computershare in running annual meetings. Thank you.
Mr. Chevedden, thank you for your remarks. The board of directors unanimously recommends that you vote against the proposal based on the reasons set forth in the proxy statement. The fifth item to be voted upon is the shareholder proposal to issue a report on the company's charitable support. Pre-recorded remarks have been provided to the company from Bowyer Research to present the shareholder proposal from The Heritage Foundation. In accordance with the annual meeting rules of conduct, two minutes have been allocated for the statement presentation. The presentation of the pre-recorded remarks may begin.
My name is Stefan Padfield, and I am a principal at the Free Enterprise Initiative, which is part of The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is the proponent of item 5, which requests a report on risks associated with S&P Global's charitable support. The company's statement and opposition can be boiled down to urging shareholders to trust the status quo. How can shareholders trust the status quo when that is precisely what has led to the company scoring 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, which our proposal makes clear constitutes a red flag that the company is risking material, reputational, and other harms by promoting transgenderism.
Notably, the company's opposition statement does not even mention the Human Rights Campaign, nor does it mention that the 1792 Exchange rates S&P Global a high risk on its Corporate Bias Ratings for reasons including the HRC score, in addition to concerns related to using Benevity for charitable donation screening purposes, which potentially implicates S&P Global in discriminating against mainstream advocacy organizations through the recently indicted SPLC's overly broad hate list. Another red flag calling into question the company's status quo is a recent letter from a coalition of 23 states questioning the lawfulness of the ESG policies of S&P Global Ratings.
This letter was led in part by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and raises the specter of undisclosed and unlawful material conflicts of interests, as well as concerns related to antitrust violations and deceptive trade practices, all connected to the company's embrace of politically charged ESG. The foregoing list of red flags suggesting biased decision-making at S&P Global should make it difficult for shareholders to trust the status quo, and shareholders could further be forgiven for wondering whether such bias may explain the company's poor performance, which apparently includes underperforming the S&P 500 the past five years to the point of roughly 60 percentage points. A second look at S&P Global's charitable support in light of all the foregoing should be a part of ordinary oversight.
The pre-recorded remarks have now concluded. The board of directors unanimously recommends that you vote against the proposal based on the reasons as set forth in the proxy statement. The polls are about to close, so if you've not yet voted, please do so now. It is now 8:47 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, and the polls are closed effective immediately. This concludes the voting on all formal business items. The preliminary tally of votes by the Inspector of Elections shows that, One. The 10 persons nominated as directors of S&P Global have all been elected. Two. The proposals to approve on the advisory basis the executive compensation program for the company's named executive officers has been approved. Three. The ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2026 has been approved.
Four, the shareholder proposal to reduce the stock ownership threshold for calling a special shareholder meeting has not been approved. Five, the shareholder proposal to issue a report on the company's charitable support has not been approved. The certificate of the Inspector of Elections will be filed with the records of the meeting, and the final results will be available on or before the 26th of May 2026 in a Form 8-K filing. There being no further business, the formal part of our annual meeting is concluded. I now declare the meeting adjourned. Before passing the meeting over to Martina Cheung, let me take a moment to thank our shareholders for their continued support. The number of shares voted and the support demonstrated is very much appreciated. Martina Cheung will now lead a general question-and-answer session. Martina.
Thank you, Ian. We will now open the meeting to questions. Judah.
There are no questions at this time.
Since there are no comments or questions, we will conclude the annual meeting. We thank all of our shareholders for being part of this meeting and for your support of S&P Global. Thank you again very much for tuning in.
That concludes this morning's call. A replay will be available within six hours from investor.spglobal.com and will be maintained for 12 months from today. On behalf of S&P Global, we thank you for participating.