S&P Global (SPGI) 10-K 9 Feb 17 2016 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 27, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document And Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	S&P Global Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	64,040
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 28.3
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		258.4

Consolidated Statements of Inco

Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 1,399	$ 1,374	$ 5,661	$ 5,313	$ 5,051
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses			1,769	1,700	1,651
Selling and general expenses			1,443	1,550	3,144
Depreciation			85	90	86
Amortization of intangibles			96	67	48
Total expenses			3,393	3,407	4,929
(Gain) loss on dispositions			(1,101)	(11)	9
Operating profit	857	424	3,369	1,917	113
Interest expense, net			181	102	59
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income			3,188	1,815	54
Provision for taxes on income			960	547	245
Income (loss) from continuing operations			2,228	1,268	(191)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations			0	0	18
Gain on sale of discontinued operations			0	0	160
Discontinued operations, net			0	0	178
Net income (loss)	569	276	2,228	1,268	(13)
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests			(122)	(112)	(102)
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.	537	248	2,106	1,156	(115)
Amounts attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders:
Income (loss) from continuing operations			2,106	1,156	(293)
Income from discontinued operations			0	0	178
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.	$ 537	$ 248	$ 2,106	$ 1,156	$ (115)
Income (loss) from continuing operations:
Basic (in dollars per share)			$ 8.02	$ 4.26	$ (1.08)
Diluted (in dollars per share)			7.94	4.21	(1.08)
Income from discontinued operations:
Basic (in dollars per share)			0	0	0.66
Diluted (in dollars per share)			0	0	0.66
Net income (loss):
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.07	$ 0.92	8.02	4.26	(0.42)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.05	$ 0.91	$ 7.94	$ 4.21	$ (0.42)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)			262.8	271.6	271.5
Diluted (in shares)			265.2	274.6	271.5
Actual shares outstanding at year end (in shares)	258.3	265.2	258.3	265.2	272
Dividend declared per common share (in dollars per share)			$ 1.44	$ 1.32	$ 1.20

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ 2,228	$ 1,268	$ (13)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(132)	(111)	(108)
Income tax effect	(7)	1	2
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax effect	(139)	(110)	(106)
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans	(27)	34	(357)
Income tax effect	(10)	(9)	142
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans, net of income tax effect	(37)	25	(215)
Unrealized gain (loss) on forward exchange contracts	4	(1)	4
Income tax effect	(1)	0	(1)
Unrealized (loss) gain on investments and forward exchange contracts, net of income tax effect	3	(1)	3
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,055	1,182	(331)
Less: comprehensive income attributable to nonredeemable noncontrolling interests	(13)	(11)	(10)
Less: comprehensive income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(109)	(101)	(92)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.	$ 1,933	$ 1,070	$ (433)

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,392	$ 1,481
Short-term investments	8	6
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts: 2016 - $28; 2015 - $37	1,122	991
Deferred income taxes		109
Prepaid and other current assets	142	206
Assets of a business held for sale	7	503
Total current assets	3,671	3,296
Property and equipment:
Buildings and leasehold improvements	356	352
Equipment and furniture	452	503
Total property and equipment	808	855
Less: accumulated depreciation	(537)	(585)
Property and equipment, net	271	270
Goodwill	2,949	2,882
Other intangible assets, net	1,506	1,522
Other non-current assets	272	213
Total assets	8,669	8,183
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	183	206
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	409	383
Short-term debt	0	143
Income taxes currently payable	95	56
Unearned revenue	1,509	1,421
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	56	121
Other current liabilities	314	372
Liabilities of a business held for sale	45	206
Total current liabilities	2,611	2,908
Long-term debt	3,564	3,468
Pension and other postretirement benefits	274	276
Other non-current liabilities	439	368
Total liabilities	6,888	7,020
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	1,080	920
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)
Equity:
Common stock, $1 par value: authorized - 600 million shares; issued - 412 million shares in 2016 and 2015	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	502	475
Retained income	9,210	7,636
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(773)	(600)
Less: common stock in treasury - at cost: 2016 - 153 million shares; 2015 - 146 million shares	(8,701)	(7,729)
Total equity – controlling interests	650	194
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	51	49
Total equity	701	243
Total liabilities and equity	$ 8,669	$ 8,183

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 28	$ 37
Common stock, par value (in usd per share)	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, authorized (in shares)	600,000,000	600,000,000
Common stock, issued (in shares)	412,000,000	412,000,000
Common stock, in treasury (in shares)	153,000,000	146,000,000

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 2,228	$ 1,268	$ (13)
Less: income from discontinued operations	0	0	178
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	2,228	1,268	(191)
Adjustments to reconcile income (loss) from continuing operations to cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	85	90	86
Current year amortization	96	67	48
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	9	8	11
Deferred income taxes	79	280	(245)
Stock-based compensation	76	78	100
Gain on dispositions	(1,101)	(11)	9
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	54	119	1,587
Other	30	57	71
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(177)	(118)	(9)
Prepaid and other current assets	(2)	(4)	(7)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(26)	(92)	(130)
Unearned revenue	107	129	78
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	(150)	(1,624)	(35)
Other current liabilities	(21)	(78)	(16)
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes	132	61	(93)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	45	(35)	(55)
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations	1,464	195	1,209
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(115)	(139)	(92)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(177)	(2,396)	(71)
Proceeds from dispositions	1,498	14	83
Changes in short-term investments	(1)	(4)	15
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations	1,205	(2,525)	(65)
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net	(143)	143	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net	493	2,674	0
Payments on senior notes	(421)	0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders	(380)	(363)	(326)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	(116)	(104)	(84)
Repurchase of treasury shares	(1,123)	(974)	(362)
Exercise of stock options	88	86	193
Contingent consideration payments	(39)	(5)	(11)
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares	0	(16)	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	41	69	128
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations	(1,600)	1,510	(462)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	(158)	(67)	(65)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations	911	(887)	617
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities	0	(129)	18
Cash provided by investing activities	0	0	320
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations	0	(129)	338
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	911	(1,016)	955
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	1,481	2,497	1,542
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2,392	1,481	2,497
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest (including discontinued operations)	150	65	50
Income taxes (including discontinued operations)	$ 683	$ 260	$ 419

Consolidated Statements of Equi

Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions		Total	Common Stock $1 par	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Income	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Less: Treasury Stock	Total SPGI Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013		$ 1,344	$ 412	$ 447	$ 7,384	$ (196)	$ 6,746	$ 1,301	$ 43
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	[1]	(423)			(115)	(318)		(433)	10
Dividends		(332)			(324)			(324)	(8)
Share repurchases		(346)					352	(352)
Employee stock plans, net of tax benefit		295		46			(249)	295
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest		(1)			(1)			(1)
Other		2			2			2
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014		539	412	493	6,946	(514)	6,849	488	51
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	[1]	1,081			1,156	(86)		1,070	11
Dividends		(368)			(359)			(359)	(9)
Share repurchases		(1,002)					1,000	(1,000)	(2)
Employee stock plans, net of tax benefit		102		(18)			(120)	102
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest		(107)			(107)			(107)
Other		(2)						0	(2)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015		243	412	475	7,636	(600)	7,729	194	49
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income	[1]	1,946			2,106	(173)		1,933	13
Dividends		(390)			(380)			(380)	(10)
Share repurchases		(1,097)					1,097	(1,097)	0
Employee stock plans, net of tax benefit		152		27			(125)	152
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest		(153)			(153)			(153)
Other		0			1			1	(1)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016		$ 701	$ 412	$ 502	$ 9,210	$ (773)	$ 8,701	$ 650	$ 51
[1]	Excludes $109 million, $101 million and $92 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest.

Consolidated Statements of Equ8

Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Comprehensive income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 109	$ 101	$ 92

Accounting Policies

Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	Accounting Policies Nature of operations S&P Global Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company,” the “Registrant,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. The capital markets include asset managers, investment banks, commercial banks, insurance companies, exchanges, and issuers; and the commodity markets include producers, traders and intermediaries within energy, metals, petrochemicals and agriculture. Our operations consist of three reportable segments: Ratings, Market and Commodities Intelligence and S&P Dow Jones Indices ("Indices"). • Ratings is an independent provider of credit ratings, research and analytics, offering investors and other market participants information, ratings and benchmarks. • Market and Commodities Intelligence is a global provider of multi-asset-class data, research and analytical capabilities, which integrate cross-asset analytics and desktop services and deliver their customers in the commodity and energy markets access to high-value information, data, analytic services and pricing and quality benchmarks. As of September 7, 2016, we completed the sale of J.D. Power and the results are included in Market and Commodities Intelligence results through that date. • Indices is a global index provider that maintains a wide variety of valuation and index benchmarks for investment advisors, wealth managers and institutional investors. See Note 12 – Segment and Geographic Information for further discussion on our operating segments, which are also our reportable segments. Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale We classify a disposal group to be sold as held for sale in the period in which all of the following criteria are met: management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the disposal group; the disposal group is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such disposal group; an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan to sell the disposal group have been initiated; the sale of the disposal group is probable, and transfer of the disposal group is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year, except if events or circumstances beyond our control extend the period of time required to sell the disposal group beyond one year; the disposal group is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. An entity that is classified as held for sale is initially measured at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a disposal group until the date of sale. The fair value of a disposal group less any costs to sell is assessed each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and any subsequent changes are reported as an adjustment to the carrying value of the disposal group, as long as the new carrying value does not exceed the carrying value of the disposal group at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Upon determining that a disposal group meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale, the Company reports the assets and liabilities of the disposal group as held for sale in the current period in our consolidated balance sheets. Discontinued Operations Beginning on January 1, 2015, we adopted revised guidance for discontinued operations that raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation. In determining whether a disposal of a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity is required to be presented as a discontinued operation, we make a determination whether the disposal represents a strategic shift that had, or will have, a major effect on our operations and financial results. A component of an entity comprises o perations and cash flows that can be clearly distinguished both operationally and for financial reporting purposes. If we conclude that the disposal represents a strategic shift, then the results of operations of the group of assets being disposed of (as well as any gain or loss on the disposal transaction) are aggregated for separate presentation apart from our continuing operating results in the consolidated financial statements. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we applied the previous guidance for discontinued operations in determining whether a group of assets disposed or to be disposed of should be presented as a discontinued operation. We determined whether the group of assets being disposed of comprised a component of the entity. We also determined whether the cash flows associated with the group of assets had been or would have been eliminated from our ongoing operations as a result of the disposal transaction and whether we would have had significant continuing involvement in the operations of the group of assets after the disposal transaction. If we concluded that the cash flows had been eliminated and we had no significant continuing involvement, then the results of operations of the group of assets being disposed of (as well as any gain or loss on the disposal transaction) were aggregated for separate presentation apart from our continuing operating results in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures for a summary of discontinued operations. Unless otherwise indicated, all disclosures and amounts in the notes to our consolidated financial statements relate to our continuing operations. Principles of consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all subsidiaries and our share of earnings or losses of joint ventures and affiliated companies under the equity method of accounting. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include ordinary bank deposits and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less that consist primarily of money market funds with unrestricted daily liquidity and fixed term time deposits. Such investments and bank deposits are stated at cost, which approximates market value, and were $2.4 billion and $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively. These investments are not subject to significant market risk. Short-term investments Short-term investments are securities with original maturities greater than 90 days that are available for use in our operations in the next twelve months. The short-term investments, primarily consisting of certificates of deposit and mutual funds, are classified as held-to-maturity and therefore are carried at cost. Interest and dividends are recorded into income when earned. Accounts receivable Credit is extended to customers based upon an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition. Accounts receivable, which include billings consistent with terms of contractual arrangements, are recorded at net realizable value. Allowance for doubtful accounts The allowance for doubtful accounts reserve methodology is based on historical analysis, a review of outstanding balances and current conditions. In determining these reserves, we consider, amongst other factors, the financial condition and risk profile of our customers, areas of specific or concentrated risk as well as applicable industry trends or market indicators. Deferred technology costs We capitalize certain software development and website implementation costs. Capitalized costs only include incremental, direct costs of materials and services incurred to develop the software after the preliminary project stage is completed, funding has been committed and it is probable that the project will be completed and used to perform the function intended. Incremental costs are expenditures that are out-of-pocket to us and are not part of an allocation or existing expense base. Software development and website implementation costs are expensed as incurred during the preliminary project stage. Capitalized costs are amortized from the year the software is ready for its intended use over its estimated useful life, three to seven years, using the straight-line method. Periodically, we evaluate the amortization methods, remaining lives and recoverability of such costs. Capitalized software development and website implementation costs are included in other non-current assets and are presented net of accumulated amortization. Gross deferred technology costs were $145 million and $128 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively. Accumulated amortization of deferred technology costs was $91 million and $72 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively. Fair Value Certain assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value and classified within a fair value hierarchy based on inputs used when measuring fair value. We have an immaterial amount of forward exchange contracts that are adjusted to fair value on a recurring basis. Other financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity and highly liquid nature of these instruments. The fair value of our long-term debt borrowings were $3.7 billion and $3.6 billion as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively, and was estimated based on quoted market prices. Accounting for the impairment of long-lived assets (including other intangible assets) We evaluate long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Upon such an occurrence, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to current forecasts of undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized equal to the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. For long-lived assets held for sale, assets are written down to fair value, less cost to sell. Fair value is determined based on market evidence, discounted cash flows, appraised values or management’s estimates, depending upon the nature of the assets. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $24 million related to a technology project at our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment in selling and general expenses in our consolidated statement of income. On July 31, 2014, we completed the sale of the Company's aircraft to Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company for a purchase price of $20 million . During the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $6 million in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income as a result of the pending sale. See Note 14 – Related Party Transactions for further discussion. On June 30, 2014, we completed the sale of our data center to Quality Technology Services, LLC (“QTS”) which owns, operates, and manages data centers. Net proceeds from the sale of $58 million were received in July of 2014. The sale includes all of the facilities and equipment on the south campus of our East Windsor, New Jersey location, inclusive of the rights and obligations associated with an adjoining solar power field. The sale resulted in an expense of $3 million recorded in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income, which is in addition to the non-cash impairment charge of $36 million we recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013 to adjust the value of the facilities and associated infrastructure classified as held for sale to their fair value. Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price and related costs over the value assigned to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but instead are tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter each year, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. We have four reporting units with goodwill that are evaluated for impairment. We initially perform a qualitative analysis evaluating whether any events and circumstances occurred or exist that provide evidence that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than its carrying amount. If, based on our evaluation we do not believe that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than its carrying amount, no quantitative impairment test is performed. Conversely, if the results of our qualitative assessment determine that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying amounts we perform a two-step quantitative impairment test. When conducting the first step of our two step impairment test to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill at the reporting unit level, the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its carrying value including goodwill. Fair value of the reporting units are estimated using the income approach, which incorporates the use of a discounted free cash flow (“DCF”) analyses and are corroborated using the market approach, which incorporates the use of revenue and earnings multiples based on market data. The DCF analyses are based on the current operating budgets and estimated long-term growth projections for each reporting unit. Future cash flows are discounted based on a market comparable weighted average cost of capital rate for each reporting unit, adjusted for market and other risks where appropriate. In addition, we analyze any difference between the sum of the fair values of the reporting units and our total market capitalization for reasonableness, taking into account certain factors including control premiums. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, a second step is performed which compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to the carrying value of the goodwill. The fair value of the goodwill is determined based on the difference between the fair value of the reporting unit and the net fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying value, the difference is recognized as an impairment charge. We evaluate the recoverability of indefinite-lived intangible assets by first performing a qualitative analysis evaluating whether any events and circumstances occurred that provide evidence that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. If, based on our evaluation of the events and circumstances that occurred during the year we do not believe that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired, no quantitative impairment test is performed. Conversely, if the results of our qualitative assessment determine that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired, a quantitative impairment test is performed. If necessary, the impairment test is performed by comparing the estimated fair value of the intangible asset to its carrying value. If the indefinite-lived intangible asset carrying value exceeds its fair value, an impairment analysis is performed using the income approach. The fair value of loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Significant judgments inherent in these analyses include estimating the amount and timing of future cash flows and the selection of appropriate discount rates, royalty rates and long-term growth rate assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value for each reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible asset and could result in an impairment charge, which could be material to our financial position and results of operations. We performed our impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets and concluded that no impairment existed for the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 . Foreign currency translation We have operations in many foreign countries. For most international operations, the local currency is the functional currency. For international operations that are determined to be extensions of the parent company, the United States ("U.S.") dollar is the functional currency. For local currency operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using end of period exchange rates, and revenue and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars using weighted-average exchange rates. Foreign currency translation adjustments are accumulated in a separate component of equity. Revenue recognition Revenue is recognized as it is earned when services are rendered. We consider amounts to be earned once evidence of an arrangement has been obtained, services are performed, fees are fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue relating to products that provide for more than one deliverable is recognized based upon the relative fair value to the customer of each deliverable as each deliverable is provided. Revenue relating to agreements that provide for more than one service is recognized based upon the relative fair value to the customer of each service component as each component is earned. If the fair value to the customer for each service is not objectively determinable, management makes its best estimate of the services’ stand-alone selling price and records revenue as it is earned over the service period. For arrangements that include multiple services, fair value of the service components are determined using an analysis that considers cash consideration that would be received for instances when the service components are sold separately. Advertising revenue is recognized when the page is run. Subscription income is recognized over the related subscription period. Depreciation The costs of property and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method based upon the following estimated useful lives: buildings and improvements from 15 to 40 years and equipment and furniture from 2 to 10 years . The costs of leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the useful lives or the terms of the respective leases. Advertising expense The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred. We incurred $35 million , $33 million and $35 million in advertising costs for the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively. Stock-based compensation Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized over the requisite service period, which typically is the vesting period. Stock-based compensation is classified as both operating-related expense and selling and general expense in the consolidated statements of income. Income taxes Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns. Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in interest expense and operating expense, respectively. Judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and unrecognized tax benefits. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial performance of the operation that is recording a net deferred tax asset is considered along with any other pertinent information. We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various states, and foreign jurisdictions, and we are routinely under audit by many different tax authorities. We believe that our accrual for tax liabilities is adequate for all open audit years based on our assessment of many factors including past experience and interpretations of tax law. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and may involve a series of complex judgments about future events. It is possible that examinations will be settled prior to December 31, 2017. If any of these tax audit settlements do occur within that period we would make any necessary adjustments to the accrual for unrecognized tax benefits. Until formal resolutions are reached between us and the tax authorities, the determination of a possible audit settlement range with respect to the impact on unrecognized tax benefits is not practicable. On the basis of present information, our opinion is that any assessments resulting from the current audits will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest The agreement with the minority partners of our S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC joint venture established in June of 2012 contains redemption features whereby interests held by our minority partners are redeemable either (i) at the option of the holder or (ii) upon the occurrence of an event that is not solely within our control. Since redemption of the noncontrolling interest is outside of our control, this interest is presented on our consolidated balance sheets under the caption “Redeemable noncontrolling interest.” If the interest were to be redeemed, we would be required to purchase all of such interest at fair value on the date of redemption. We adjust the redeemable noncontrolling interest each reporting period to its estimated redemption value, but never less than its initial fair value, using a combination of an income and market valuation approach. Our income and market valuation approaches may incorporate Level 3 measures for instances when observable inputs are not available, including assumptions related to expected future net cash flows, long-term growth rates, the timing and nature of tax attributes, and the redemption features. Any adjustments to the redemption value will impact retained income. See Note 9 – Equity for further detail. Contingencies We accrue for loss contingencies when both (a) information available prior to issuance of the financial statements indicates that it is probable that a liability had been incurred at the date of the financial statements and (b) the amount of loss can reasonably be estimated. We continually assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes to our contingencies, as well as potential amounts or ranges of probable losses, and recognize a liability, if any, for these contingencies based on an analysis of each matter with the assistance of outside legal counsel and, if applicable, other experts. Because many of these matters are resolved over long periods of time, our estimate of liabilities may change due to new developments, changes in assumptions or changes in our strategy related to the matter. When we accrue for loss contingencies and the reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range, we record its best estimate within the range. We disclose an estimated possible loss or a range of loss when it is at least reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred. Recent Accounting Standards In August of 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance providing amendments to eight specific statement of cash flows classification issues. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early adoption is permitted. We do not expect this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to modify several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This guidance will require recognizing excess tax benefits and deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the statement of income, instead of in equity as under the current guidance. We reported excess tax benefits from share -based payments of $41 million , $69 million and $128 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In addition, these amounts will be classified as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows, instead of as a financing activity. Cash paid for shares withheld on the employees' behalf will be classified as a financing activity, instead of as an operating activity. Cash paid for employee taxes was $55 million , $92 million and $95 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The 2016, 2015 and 2014 amounts of excess tax benefits from share-based payments and cash paid for employee taxes are not necessarily indicative of future amounts that may arise from the implementation of the new accounting guidance. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 is required to be adopted as follows: 1) prospectively for the recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies in the tax provision, 2) retrospectively or prospectively for the classification of excess tax benefits and deficiencies in the statement of cash flows, and 3) retrospectively for the classification of cash paid for shares withheld to satisfy employee taxes in the statement of cash flows. In February of 2016, the FASB issued guidance that amends accounting for leases. Under the new guidance, a lessee will recognize assets and liabilities but will recognize expenses similar to current lease accounting. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018; however, early adoption is permitted. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach to each prior reporting period presented with various optional practical expedients. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements. In January of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We do not expect this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In November of 2015, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. The guidance requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016; however, early adoption is permitted. We early adopted this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2016, prospectively, and accordingly prior year amounts have not been reclassified. In September of 2015, the FASB issued guidance intended to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. The guidance eliminates the requirement to retrospectively account for those adjustments. The guidance was effective on January 1, 2016, and the adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February of 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires management to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In January of 2015, the FASB issued guidance that eliminates the concept of reporting extraordinary items, but retains current presentation and disclosure requirements for an event or transaction that is of an unusual nature or of a type that indicates infrequency of occurrence. Transactions that meet both criteria would now also follow such presentation and disclosure requirements. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In August of 2014, the FASB issued guidance that requires management to evaluate, at each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued and provide related disclosures. This guidance is effective for reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In May of 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) issued jointly a converged standard on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers which is intended to improve the financial reporting of revenue and comparability of the top line in financial statements globally. The core principle of the new standard is for the recognition of revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the payment to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard will also result in enhanced revenue disclosures, provide guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements. In August of 2015, the FASB issued guidance deferring the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. Subsequently, the FASB issued implementation guidance related to the new revenue standard, including the following: In March of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations; in April of 2016, the FASB clarified guidance on performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance; in May of 2016, the FASB issued a practical expedient in response to identified implementation issues. The new guidance will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. We are currently evaluating the application of a transition method and the impact that adoption of these updates will have on our consolidated financial statements. At this point, we believe the new standard will have an impact on: 1) the accounting for certain long-term deferred revenue in our Ratings segment which may contain a financing component, 2) the timing of revenue recognized in our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment for long term contracts with price escalations, and 3) the accounting for fees for historical data in our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment currently recognized over the term of a subscription. We do not expect these changes to have a significant impact on our consol

Acquisitions and Divestitures

Acquisitions and Divestitures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Divestitures	Acquisitions and Divestitures Acquisitions 2016 For the year ended December 31, 2016 , we paid cash for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, totaling $177 million . None of our acquisitions were material either individually or in the aggregate, including the pro forma impact on earnings. All acquisitions were funded with cash flows from operations. Acquisitions completed during the year ended December 31, 2016 by segment included: Market and Commodities Intelligence • In December of 2016, Market and Commodities Intelligence acquired a 2.54% equity investment in Kensho Technologies, Inc. ("Kensho"), a financial technology startup in market data analytics. We accounted for the acquisition of Kensho on a cost basis. Our investment in Kensho is not material to our consolidated financial statements. • In September of 2016, Market and Commodities Intelligence acquired PIRA Energy Group ("PIRA"), a global provider of energy research and forecasting products and services. The purchase enhances Market and Commodities Intelligence's energy analytical capabilities by expanding its oil offering and strengthening its position in the natural gas and power markets. We accounted for the acquisition of PIRA using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition of PIRA is not material to our consolidated financial statements. • In June of 2016, Market and Commodities Intelligence acquired RigData, a provider of daily information on rig activity for the natural gas and oil markets across North America. The purchase enhances Market and Commodities Intelligence's energy analytical capabilities by strengthening its position in natural gas and enhancing its oil offering. We accounted for the acquisition of RigData using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition of RigData is not material to our consolidated financial statements. • In March of 2016, Market and Commodities Intelligence acquired Commodity Flow, a specialist technology and business intelligence service for the global waterborne commodity and energy markets. The purchase helps extend Market and Commodities Intelligence's trade flow analytical capabilities and complements its existing shipping services. We accounted for the acquisition of Commodity Flow using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition of Commodity Flow is not material to our consolidated financial statements. Following our acquisition of PIRA, we made a contingent purchase price payment in 2016 for $34 million that has been reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows as a financing activity. Following our acquisition of National Automobile Dealers Association's Used Car Guide ("UCG") at J.D. Power in July of 2015, we made a contingent purchase price payment in 2016 for $5 million that has been reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows as a financing activity. Indices • In October of 2016, Indices acquired Trucost plc, a leader in carbon and environmental data and risk analysis through its subsidiary S&P Global Indices UK Limited. The purchase will build on Indices' current portfolio of Environmental, Social and Governance solutions. The acquisition of Trucost plc is not material to our consolidated financial statements. Ratings • In June of 2016, Ratings acquired a 49% equity investment in Thailand's TRIS Rating Company Limited from its parent company, TRIS Corporation Limited. The transaction extends an existing association between Ratings and TRIS Rating and deepens their commitment to capital markets in Thailand. We accounted for the acquisition of TRIS Rating Company using the equity method of accounting. The equity investment in TRIS Rating is not material to our consolidated financial statements. For acquisitions during 2016 that were accounted for using the purchase method, the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is allocated to goodwill and other intangibles. The goodwill recognized on our acquisitions is largely attributable to anticipated operational synergies and growth opportunities as a result of the acquisition. The intangible assets, excluding goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, will be amortized over their anticipated useful lives between 3 and 10 years which will be determined when we finalize our purchase price allocations. The goodwill for PIRA and RigData is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. 2015 For the year ended December 31, 2015 , we paid cash for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, totaling $2.4 billion . We used the net proceeds of our $2.0 billion of senior notes issued in August of 2015 and cash on hand to finance the acquisition of SNL. All other acquisitions were funded with cash flows from operations. Acquisitions completed during the year ended December 31, 2015 by segment included: Market and Commodities Intelligence • In September of 2015, we acquired SNL Financial LC ("SNL") for $2.2 billion . SNL is a global provider of news, data, and analytical tools to five sectors in the global economy: financial services, real estate, energy, media & communications, and metals & mining. SNL delivers information through its suite of web, mobile and direct data feed platforms that helps clients, including investment and commercial banks, investors, corporations, and regulators make decisions, improve efficiency, and manage risk. See below for further detail related to this transaction. • In July of 2015, we acquired the entire issued share capital of Petromedia Ltd and its operating subsidiaries (“Petromedia”), an independent provider of data, intelligence, news and tools to the global fuels market that offers a suite of products that provides clients with actionable data and intelligence that enable informed decisions, minimize risk and increase efficiency. We accounted for the acquisition of Petromedia using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition of Petromedia is not material to our consolidated financial statements. Following our acquisition of UCG at J.D. Power in July of 2015, we made a contingent purchase price payment in 2015 for $5 million that has been reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows as a financing activity. For acquisitions during 2015 that were accounted for using the purchase method, the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is allocated to goodwill and other intangibles. Intangible assets recorded for all transactions are amortized using the straight-line method for periods not exceeding 18 years . Acquisition of SNL Acquisition-Related Expenses During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company incurred approximately $37 million of acquisition-related costs related to the acquisition of SNL. These expenses are included in selling and general expenses in our consolidated statements of income. Allocation of Purchase Price Our acquisition of SNL was accounted for using the purchase method. Under the purchase method, the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is allocated to goodwill and other intangibles. The goodwill recognized is largely attributable to anticipated operational synergies and growth opportunities as a result of the acquisition. The intangible assets, excluding goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, will be amortized over their anticipated useful lives between 10 and 18 years. The goodwill is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The following table presents the final allocation of purchase price to the assets and liabilities of SNL as a result of the acquisition. (in millions) Current assets $ 29 Property, plant and equipment 19 Goodwill 1,574 Other intangible assets, net: Databases and software 421 Customer relationships 162 Tradenames 185 Other intangibles 4 Other intangible assets, net 772 Other non-current assets 1 Total assets acquired 2,395 Current liabilities (43 ) Unearned revenue (117 ) Other non-current liabilities (1 ) Total liabilities acquired (161 ) Net assets acquired $ 2,234 Supplemental Pro Forma Information Supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma basis is presented below for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 as if the acquisition of SNL occurred on January 1, 2014. The pro forma financial information is presented for comparative purposes only, based on estimates and assumptions, which the Company believes to be reasonable but not necessarily indicative of the consolidated financial position or results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had this acquisition been completed at the beginning of 2015. The unaudited pro forma information includes intangible asset charges and incremental borrowing costs as a result of the acquisition, net of related tax, estimated using the Company's effective tax rate for continuing operations for the periods presented. (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Pro forma revenue $ 5,477 $ 5,275 Pro forma net income (loss) from continuing operations $ 1,258 $ (251 ) 2014 For the year ended December 31, 2014 , we paid cash for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, totaling $ 82 million . None of our acquisitions were material either individually or in the aggregate, including the pro forma impact on earnings. All acquisitions were funded with cash flows from operations. Acquisitions completed during the year ended December 31, 2014 by segment included: Ratings • In October of 2014, we acquired BRC Investor Services S.A. (“BRC”), a Colombia-based ratings firm providing risk classifications of banks, financial services providers, insurance companies, corporate bonds and structured issues that will expand our presence in the Latin American credit markets. We accounted for the acquisition of BRC using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition is not material to our consolidated financial statements. • Following CRISIL's acquisition of Coalition Development Ltd. ("Coalition") that occurred in July of 2012, we made a contingent purchase price payment in 2014 for $11 million that has been reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows as a financing activity. Market and Commodities Intelligence • In July of 2014, we acquired Eclipse Energy Group AS and its operating subsidiaries (“Eclipse”), which provides a comprehensive suite of data and analytics products on the European natural gas and liquefied natural gas markets as well as a range of advisory services leveraging Eclipse’s knowledge base, data capabilities, and modeling suite of products. This transaction complements our North American natural gas capabilities, which we obtained from our Bentek Energy LLC acquisition in 2011. We accounted for the acquisition of Eclipse using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition of Eclipse is not material to our consolidated financial statements. Indices • In March of 2014, we acquired the intellectual property of a family of Broad Market Indices (“BMI”) from Citigroup Global Markets Inc. The BMI provides a broad measure of the global equities markets which includes approximately 11,000 companies in more than 52 countries covering both developed and emerging markets. We accounted for the acquisition of the intellectual property on a cost basis and it was not material to our consolidated financial statements. For acquisitions during 2014 that were accounted for using the purchase method, the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is allocated to goodwill and other intangibles. Intangible assets recorded for all transactions are amortized using the straight-line method for periods not exceeding 7 years . None of the goodwill acquired from our acquisitions during 2014 will be deductible for tax purposes. Non-cash investing activities Liabilities assumed in conjunction with the acquisition of businesses are as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Fair value of assets acquired $ 253 $ 2,576 $ 67 Cash paid (net of cash acquired) 211 2,401 52 Liabilities assumed $ 42 $ 175 $ 15 Divestitures - Continuing Operations In November of 2016, we entered into a put option agreement that gave the Company the right, but not the obligation, to put the entire share capital of Quant House SAS ("QuantHouse"), included in our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment, to QH Holdco, an independent third party. As a result, we classified the assets and liabilities of QuantHouse, net of our costs to sell, as held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 resulting in an aggregate loss of $31 million . On January 4, 2017, we exercised the put option, thereby entering into a definitive agreement to sell QuantHouse to QH Holdco. On January 9, 2017, we completed the sale of QuantHouse to QH Holdco. 2016 During the year ended December 31, 2016 , we completed the following dispositions that resulted in a net pre-tax gain of $1.1 billion , which was included in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income: • In October of 2016, we completed the sale of Equity and Fund Research ("Equity Research"), a business within our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment to CFRA, a leading independent provider of forensic accounting research, analytics and advisory services. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a pre-tax gain of $9 million ( $5 million after-tax) in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income related to the sale of Equity Research. • In October of 2016, we completed the sale of Standard & Poor's Securities Evaluations, Inc. ("SPSE") and Credit Market Analysis ("CMA"), two businesses within our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment, for $425 million in cash to Intercontinental Exchange, an operator of global exchanges, clearing houses and data services. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a pre-tax gain of $364 million ( $297 million after-tax) in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income related to the sale of SPSE and CMA. • In September of 2016, we completed the sale of J.D. Power, included within our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment, for $1.1 billion to XIO Group, a global alternative investments firm headquartered in London. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a pre-tax gain of $728 million ( $516 million after-tax) in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income related to the sale of J.D. Power. Following the sale, the assets and liabilities of J.D. Power are no longer reported in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016. 2015 During the year ended December 31, 2015 , we recorded a pre-tax gain of $11 million in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income related to the sale of our interest in a legacy McGraw Hill Construction investment. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we began exploring strategic alternatives for J.D. Power, included within our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment, and initiated an active program to sell the business. The assets and liabilities of J.D. Power were classified as held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. 2014 During the year ended December 31, 2014 , we completed the following dispositions that resulted in a net pre-tax loss of $9 million , which was included in (gain) loss on dispositions in the consolidated statement of income: • On July 31, 2014, we completed the sale of the Company's aircraft to Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company for a purchase price of $20 million . During the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $6 million in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income as a result of the pending sale. See Note 14 — Related Party Transactions for further information. • On June 30, 2014, we completed the sale of our data center to Quality Technology Services, LLC which owns, operates and manages data centers. Net proceeds from the sale of $58 million were received in July of 2014. The sale included all of the facilities and equipment on the south campus of our East Windsor, New Jersey location, inclusive of the rights and obligations associated with an adjoining solar power field. The sale resulted in an expense of $3 million recorded in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income, which is in addition to the non-cash impairment charge we recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013. The components of assets and liabilities held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet consist of the following: (in millions) December 31, December 31, 2016 1 2015 2 Accounts receivable, net $ 4 $ 58 Goodwill — 75 Other intangible assets, net — 335 Other assets 3 35 Assets of a business held for sale $ 7 $ 503 Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 3 $ 42 Unearned revenue 7 64 Other liabilities 35 100 Liabilities of a business held for sale $ 45 $ 206 1 Assets and liabilities held for sale as of December 31, 2016 relate to QuantHouse. 2 Assets and liabilities held for sale as of December 31, 2015 relate to J.D. Power. The operating profit of our businesses that were disposed of or held for sale for the years ending December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Operating profit 1 $ 62 $ 85 $ 71 1 The year ended December 31, 2016 excludes a pre-tax gain of $1.1 billion on our dispositions. Discontinued Operations On November 3, 2014, we completed the sale of McGraw Hill Construction, which has historically been part of the Market and Commodities Intelligence segment, to Symphony Technology Group for $320 million in cash. We recorded an after-tax gain on the sale of $160 million , which is included in discontinued operations, net in the consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2014. We used the after-tax proceeds from the sale to make selective acquisitions, investments, share repurchases and for general corporate purposes. The key components of income from discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 consist of the following: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2014 Revenue $ 139 Expenses 110 Operating income 29 Provision for taxes on income 11 Income from discontinued operations, net of tax 18 Pre-tax gain on sale from discontinued operations 289 Provision for taxes on gain on sale 129 Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax 160 Income from discontinued operations attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders $ 178 Results from discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 included the after-tax gain on sale of McGraw Hill Construction of $160 million .

Goodwill and Other Intangible A

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price and related costs over the value assigned to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. The change in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment is shown below: (in millions) Ratings Market and Commodities Intelligence Indices Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 122 $ 889 $ 376 $ 1,387 Acquisitions — 1,602 — 1,602 Reclassifications 1 — (75 ) — (75 ) Other (primarily Fx) (8 ) (24 ) — (32 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 114 2,392 376 2,882 Acquisitions — 106 7 113 Dispositions — (35 ) — (35 ) Other (primarily Fx) (5 ) (6 ) — (11 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 109 $ 2,457 $ 383 $ 2,949 1 Relates to J.D. Power, which is classified as assets held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. Goodwill additions and dispositions in the table above relate to transactions discussed in Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures . Other Intangible Assets Other intangible assets include both indefinite-lived assets not subject to amortization and definite-lived assets subject to amortization. We have indefinite-lived assets with a carrying value of $714 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 that consist of the following: • $380 million and $90 million for Dow Jones Indices intellectual property and the Dow Jones tradename, respectively, that we recorded as part of the transaction to form S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC in 2012. • $185 million within our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment for the SNL tradename. • $ 59 million within our Indices segment for the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index intellectual property and the Broad Market Indices intellectual property. The following table summarizes our definite-lived intangible assets: (in millions) Cost Databases and software Content Customer relationships Tradenames Other intangibles Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 113 $ 139 $ 228 $ 46 $ 111 $ 637 Acquisitions 421 — — — 177 598 Reclassifications 1 (19 ) — (62 ) (2 ) (8 ) (91 ) Other (primarily Fx) (5 ) — 2 3 (11 ) (11 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 510 139 168 47 269 1,133 Acquisitions — — — — 98 98 Dispositions — — — (2 ) (8 ) (10 ) Impairment 2 (2 ) — — — (22 ) (24 ) Reclassifications — — 165 1 (166 ) — Other (primarily Fx) (2 ) — (3 ) (1 ) (8 ) (14 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 506 $ 139 $ 330 $ 45 $ 163 $ 1,183 Accumulated amortization Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 88 $ 59 $ 80 $ 35 $ 64 $ 326 Current year amortization 20 14 9 2 22 67 Reclassifications 1 (18 ) — (30 ) (2 ) (14 ) (64 ) Other (primarily Fx) (2 ) — 1 1 (5 ) (5 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 88 73 60 36 67 324 Current year amortization 47 14 21 2 12 96 Dispositions — — — (1 ) (6 ) (7 ) Impairment 2 (2 ) — — — (10 ) (12 ) Reclassifications 2 — 5 — (7 ) — Other (primarily Fx) (3 ) — (2 ) (1 ) (4 ) (10 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 132 $ 87 $ 84 $ 36 $ 52 $ 391 Net definite-lived intangibles: December 31, 2015 $ 422 $ 66 $ 108 $ 11 $ 202 $ 809 December 31, 2016 $ 374 $ 52 $ 246 $ 9 $ 111 $ 792 1 Relates to J.D. Power, which is classified as assets held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. 2 Relates to a technology-related impairment charge at Market and Commodities Intelligence and recorded in selling and general expenses in our consolidated statement of income. Definite-lived intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over periods of up to 20 years. The weighted-average life of the intangible assets as of December 31, 2016 is approximately 12 years. Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 was $96 million , $67 million , and $48 million , respectively. Expected amortization expense for intangible assets over the next five years for the years ended December 31, assuming no further acquisitions or dispositions, is as follows: (in millions) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Amortization expense $ 88 $ 84 $ 79 $ 73 $ 62

Taxes on Income

Taxes on Income	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Taxes on Income	Taxes on Income Income before taxes on income resulted from domestic and foreign operations is as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Domestic operations $ 2,585 $ 1,266 $ (423 ) Foreign operations 603 549 477 Total continuing income before taxes $ 3,188 $ 1,815 $ 54 The provision for taxes on income consists of the following: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Federal: Current $ 641 $ 90 $ 285 Deferred 79 276 (213 ) Total federal 720 366 72 Foreign: Current 133 111 135 Deferred (4 ) (1 ) 1 Total foreign 129 110 136 State and local: Current 99 34 62 Deferred 12 37 (25 ) Total state and local 111 71 37 Total provision for taxes for continuing operations 960 547 245 Provision for discontinued operations — — 140 Total provision for taxes $ 960 $ 547 $ 385 A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to our effective income tax rate for financial reporting purposes is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 U.S. federal statutory income tax rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % Legal and regulatory settlements — — 524.1 State and local income taxes 2.7 2.6 64.2 Divestitures (4.3 ) — — Foreign operations (2.0 ) (3.2 ) (79.6 ) S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC joint venture (1.2 ) (2.0 ) (60.2 ) Tax credits and incentives (1.6 ) (2.9 ) (91.5 ) Other, net 1.5 0.6 61.7 Effective income tax rate for continuing operations 30.1 % 30.1 % 453.7 % The principal temporary differences between the accounting for income and expenses for financial reporting and income tax purposes are as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 Deferred tax assets: Legal and regulatory settlements $ 23 $ 45 Employee compensation 78 91 Accrued expenses 87 72 Postretirement benefits 105 126 Unearned revenue 33 39 Allowance for doubtful accounts 11 12 Loss carryforwards 112 114 Other 3 18 Total deferred tax assets 452 517 Deferred tax liabilities: Goodwill and intangible assets (320 ) (299 ) Fixed assets (3 ) (9 ) Other — — Total deferred tax liabilities (323 ) (308 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) before valuation allowance 129 209 Valuation allowance (116 ) (98 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) $ 13 $ 111 Reported as: Current deferred tax assets $ — $ 109 Current deferred tax liabilities — (8 ) Non-current deferred tax assets 61 33 Non-current deferred tax liabilities (48 ) (23 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) $ 13 $ 111 In November of 2015, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. The guidance requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016; however, early adoption is permitted. We early adopted this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2016, prospectively, and accordingly prior year amounts have not been reclassified. We record valuation allowances against deferred income tax assets when we determine that it is more likely than not based upon all the available evidence that such deferred income tax assets will not be realized. The valuation allowance is primarily related to operating losses. We have not recorded deferred income taxes applicable to undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations. Undistributed earnings that are indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations amounted to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2016 . Quantification of the deferred tax liability, if any, associated with indefinitely reinvested earnings is not practicable. We made net income tax payments for continuing and discontinued operations totaling $683 million in 2016 , $260 million in 2015 , and $419 million in 2014 . As of December 31, 2016 , we had net operating loss carryforwards of $446 million , of which a major portion has an unlimited carryover period under current law. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Balance at beginning of year $ 120 $ 118 $ 82 Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 35 22 30 Additions for tax positions of prior years 14 12 33 Reduction for tax positions of prior years (3 ) (14 ) (11 ) Reduction for settlements (5 ) (18 ) (16 ) Balance at end of year $ 161 $ 120 $ 118 The total amount of federal, state and local, and foreign unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 was $161 million , $120 million and $118 million , respectively, exclusive of interest and penalties. The increase of $46 million in 2016 (excluding settlements) is the amount of unrecognized tax benefits that unfavorably impacted tax expense. The unfavorable impact to the tax provision was partially offset by the resolution of tax audits in multiple jurisdictions. We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and operating-related expense, respectively. In addition to the unrecognized tax benefits, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , we had $44 million and $31 million , respectively, of accrued interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions. During 2016, we completed the federal income tax audit for 2014. The U.S. federal income tax audits for 2016 and 2015 are in process. During 2016, we completed various state and foreign tax audits and, with few exceptions, we are no longer subject to federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before 2008. The impact to tax expense in 2016, 2015 and 2014 was not material. We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various states, and foreign jurisdictions, and we are routinely under audit by many different tax authorities. We believe that our accrual for tax liabilities is adequate for all open audit years based on an assessment of many factors including past experience and interpretations of tax law. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and may involve a series of complex judgments about future events. It is possible that tax examinations will be settled prior to December 31, 2017. If any of these tax audit settlements do occur within that period, we would make any necessary adjustments to the accrual for unrecognized tax benefits. Until formal resolutions are reached between us and the tax authorities, the determination of a possible audit settlement range with respect to the impact on unrecognized tax benefits is not practicable.

Debt

Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt A summary of short-term and long-term debt outstanding is as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 5.9% Senior Notes, due 2017 1 $ — $ 399 2.5% Senior Notes, due 2018 2 398 398 3.3% Senior Notes, due 2020 3 696 695 4.0% Senior Notes, due 2025 4 691 690 4.4% Senior Notes, due 2026 5 891 890 2.95% Senior Notes, due 2027 6 492 — 6.55% Senior Notes, due 2037 7 396 396 Commercial paper — 143 Total debt 3,564 3,611 Less: short-term debt including current maturities — 143 Long-term debt $ 3,564 $ 3,468 1 We made a $400 million early repayment of our 5.9% senior notes on October 20, 2016. 2 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 15 and August 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $2 million . 3 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 14 and August 14, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $4 million . 4 Interest payments are due semiannually on June 15 and December 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $9 million . 5 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 15 and August 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $9 million . 6 Interest payments are due semiannually on January 22 and July 22, beginning on January 22, 2017, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $8 million . 7 Interest payments are due semiannually on May 15 and November 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $4 million . Annual long-term debt maturities are scheduled as follows based on book values as of December 31, 2016 : no amounts due in 2017, $398 million due in 2018, no amounts due in 2019, $696 million due in 2020, no amounts due in 2021, and $2.5 billion due thereafter. On September 22, 2016, we issued $500 million of 2.95% senior notes due in 2027. The notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. We used the net proceeds to fund the $400 million early repayment of our 5.9% senior notes due in 2017 on October 20, 2016, and intend to use the balance for general corporate purposes. On August 18, 2015, we issued $2.0 billion of senior notes consisting of $400 million of 2.5% senior notes due in 2018, $700 million of 3.3% senior notes due in 2020 and $900 million of 4.4% senior notes due in 2026. The notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. We used the net proceeds to finance the acquisition of SNL. On May 26, 2015, we issued $700 million of 4.0% senior notes due in 2025 and used a portion of the net proceeds for the repayment of short-term debt, including commercial paper. The 4.0% senior notes will mature on June 15, 2025 and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. We have the ability to borrow a total of $1.2 billion through our commercial paper program, which is supported by our revolving $1.2 billion five -year credit agreement (our "credit facility") that we entered into on June 30, 2015. This credit facility will terminate on June 30, 2020. There were no commercial paper borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2016 . Commercial paper borrowings as of December 31, 2015 totaled $143 million with an average interest rate and term of 0.95% and 17 days , respectively. Depending on our indebtedness to cash flow ratio, we pay a commitment fee of 10 to 20 basis points for our credit facility, whether or not amounts have been borrowed. We currently pay a commitment fee of 15 basis points. The interest rate on borrowings under our credit facility is, at our option, calculated using rates that are primarily based on either the prevailing London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, the prime rate determined by the administrative agent or the Federal Funds Rate. For certain borrowings under this credit facility, there is also a spread based on our indebtedness to cash flow ratio added to the applicable rate. Our credit facility contains certain covenants. The only financial covenant requires that our indebtedness to cash flow ratio, as defined in our credit facility, is not greater than 4 to 1 , and this covenant level has never been exceeded.

Derivative Instruments Derivati

Derivative Instruments Derivative Instruments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments	Derivative Instruments Cash Flow Hedges Our exposure to market risk includes changes in foreign exchange rates. We have operations in foreign countries where the functional currency is primarily the local currency. For international operations that are determined to be extensions of the parent company, the U.S. dollar is the functional currency. We typically have naturally hedged positions in most countries from a local currency perspective with offsetting assets and liabilities. As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 , we have entered into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge the effect of adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. We do not enter into any derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, we entered into a series of foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge a portion of our Indian Rupee exposure through the fourth quarter of 2016. These contracts were intended to offset the impact of movement of exchange rates on future operating costs and matured at the end of each quarter during 2016. The changes in the fair value of these contracts are initially reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss in our consolidated balance sheet and are subsequently reclassified into selling and general expenses in the same period that the hedge contract matures. As of December 31, 2016 , we estimate that $2 million of the net gains related to derivatives designated as cash flow hedges recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) is expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next twelve months. There was no hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended December 31, 2016 . As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 , the aggregate notional value of our outstanding foreign currency forward contracts was $65 million and $58 million , respectively. The following table provides information on the location and fair value amounts of our cash flow hedges as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : (in millions) Balance Sheet Location December 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Prepaid and other current assets 1 Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3 $ 1 1 We use the income approach to measure the fair value of our forward currency forward contracts. The income approach uses pricing models that rely on observable inputs such as forward rates, and therefore are classified as Level 2. The following table provides information on the location and amounts of pre-tax gains (losses) on our cash flow hedges for the years ended December 31 : (in millions) Gain (Loss) Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (effective portion) Location of Gain Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Income (effective portion) Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Income (effective portion) Cash flow hedges - designated as hedging instruments 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3 $ — $ 2 Selling and general expenses $ 4 $ — $ — The activity related to the change in unrealized gains (losses) in accumulated other comprehensive loss was as follows for the years ended December 31 : (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Net unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of taxes, beginning of year $ (1 ) $ (1 ) $ (3 ) Change in fair value, net of tax 7 — 2 Reclassification into earnings, net of tax (4 ) — — Net unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of taxes, end of year $ 2 $ (1 ) $ (1 )

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefits	Employee Benefits We maintain a number of active defined contribution retirement plans for our employees. The majority of our defined benefit plans are frozen. As a result, no new employees will be permitted to enter these plans and no additional benefits for current participants in the frozen plans will be accrued. We also have supplemental benefit plans that provide senior management with supplemental retirement, disability and death benefits. Certain supplemental retirement benefits are based on final monthly earnings. In addition, we sponsor voluntary 401(k) plans under which we may match employee contributions up to certain levels of compensation as well as profit-sharing plans under which we contribute a percentage of eligible employees' compensation to the employees' accounts. We also provide certain medical, dental and life insurance benefits for active and retired employees and eligible dependents. The medical and dental plans and supplemental life insurance plan are contributory, while the basic life insurance plan is noncontributory. We currently do not prefund any of these plans. We recognize the funded status of our retirement and postretirement plans in the consolidated balance sheets, with a corresponding adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes. The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income represent net unrecognized actuarial losses and unrecognized prior service costs. These amounts will be subsequently recognized as net periodic pension cost pursuant to our accounting policy for amortizing such amounts. Benefit Obligation A summary of the benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets, as well as the funded status for the retirement and postretirement plans as of December 31, is as follows (benefits paid in the table below include only those amounts contributed directly to or paid directly from plan assets): (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 2,199 $ 2,462 $ 80 $ 96 Service cost 3 6 — — Interest cost 78 96 2 3 Plan participants’ contributions — — 4 4 Actuarial loss (gain) 196 (189 ) (6 ) (12 ) Gross benefits paid (121 ) (150 ) (10 ) (12 ) Foreign currency effect (75 ) (26 ) — — Other adjustments (20 ) — (13 ) 1 Net benefit obligation at end of year 2,260 2,199 57 80 Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year 2,023 2,236 — — Actual return on plan assets 259 (57 ) — — Employer contributions 8 15 6 8 Plan participants’ contributions — — 4 4 Gross benefits paid (121 ) (150 ) (10 ) (12 ) Foreign currency effect (74 ) (21 ) — — Other adjustments (22 ) — — — Fair value of plan assets at end of year 2,073 2,023 — — Funded status $ (187 ) $ (176 ) $ (57 ) $ (80 ) Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets: Non-current assets $ 46 $ 36 $ — $ — Current liabilities (8 ) (8 ) (8 ) (8 ) Non-current liabilities (225 ) (204 ) (49 ) (72 ) $ (187 ) $ (176 ) $ (57 ) $ (80 ) Accumulated benefit obligation $ 2,251 $ 2,190 Plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of the fair value of plan assets: Projected benefit obligation $ 674 $ 1,810 Accumulated benefit obligation $ 665 $ 1,801 Fair value of plan assets $ 441 $ 1,598 Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax: Net actuarial loss (gain) $ 483 $ 433 $ (35 ) $ (24 ) Prior service credit 1 1 (13 ) (5 ) Total recognized $ 484 $ 434 $ (48 ) $ (29 ) The actuarial loss included in accumulated other comprehensive loss for our retirement plans and expected to be recognized in net periodic pension cost during the year ending December 31, 2017 is $18 million . There is no prior service credit included in accumulated other comprehensive loss for our retirement plans expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost during the year ending December 31, 2017 . There is an immaterial amount of actuarial loss and prior service credit included in accumulated other comprehensive loss for our postretirement plans expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost during the year ending December 31, 2017 . Net Periodic Benefit Cost For purposes of determining annual pension cost, prior service costs are being amortized straight-line over the average expected remaining lifetime of plan participants expected to receive benefits. A summary of net periodic benefit cost for our retirement and postretirement plans for the years ended December 31, is as follows: (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Service cost $ 3 $ 6 $ 5 $ — $ — $ 1 Interest cost 78 96 99 2 3 4 Expected return on assets (122 ) (127 ) (138 ) — Amortization of: Actuarial loss (gain) 16 20 11 (1 ) — (1 ) Prior service (credit) cost — — — — (1 ) — Curtailment 1 — — — — — (1 ) Net periodic benefit cost $ (25 ) $ (5 ) $ (23 ) $ 1 $ 2 $ 3 1 The curtailment gain for our postretirement plans in 2014 is a result of plan changes effective October 31, 2014 eliminating retiree medical and life insurance benefits for active employees not retiring by July 1, 2016. Our U.K. retirement plan accounted for a benefit of $10 million in 2016 , $10 million in 2015 , and $8 million in 2014 of the net periodic benefit cost attributable to the funded plans. Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax for the years ended December 31, are as follows: (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Net actuarial loss (gain) $ 60 $ (6 ) $ 232 $ (12 ) $ (17 ) $ 3 Recognized actuarial (gain) loss (10 ) (13 ) (7 ) 1 — 1 Prior service cost (credit) — — — (8 ) 1 (5 ) Total recognized $ 50 $ (19 ) $ 225 $ (19 ) $ (16 ) $ (1 ) The total cost for our retirement plans was $69 million for 2016 , $91 million for 2015 and $81 million for 2014 . Included in the total retirement plans cost are defined contribution plans cost of $65 million for 2016 , $67 million for 2015 and $74 million for 2014 . Assumptions Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Benefit obligation: Discount rate 2 4.14 % 4.47 % 4.15 % 3.69 % 3.90 % 3.60 % Net periodic cost: Weighted-average healthcare cost rate 1 7.0 % 7.0 % 7.0 % Discount rate - U.S. plan 2 4.47 % 4.15 % 5.0 % 3.94 % 3.60 % 4.125 % Discount rate - U.K. plan 2 3.84 % 3.8 % 4.5 % Return on assets 3 6.25 % 6.25 % 7.125 % 1 The assumed weighted-average healthcare cost trend rate will decrease ratably from 7% in 2016 to 5% in 2024 and remain at that level thereafter. Assumed healthcare cost trends have an effect on the amounts reported for the healthcare plans. A one percentage point change in assumed healthcare cost trend creates the following effects: (in millions) 1% point increase 1% point decrease Effect on postretirement obligation $ 1 $ (1 ) 2 Effective January 1, 2016, we changed our discount rate assumption on our U.S. retirement plans to 4.47% from 4.15% in 2015 and changed our discount rate assumption on our U.K. plan to 3.84% from 3.8% in 2015. At the end of 2015, we changed our approach used to measure service and interest costs on all of our retirement plans. For 2015 and prior periods presented, we measured service and interest costs utilizing a single weighted-average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the benefit obligation. For 2016, we elected to measure service and interest costs by applying the specific spot rates along that yield curve to the plans' liability cash flows. We believe this new approach provides a more precise measurement of service and interest costs by aligning the timing of the plans' liability cash flows to the corresponding spot rates on the yield curve. This change does not affect the measurement of our benefit obligation. We have accounted for this change as a change in accounting estimate that is inseparable from a change in accounting principle and, accordingly, have accounted for it on a prospective basis. Pension and postretirement medical costs decreased by approximately $14 million in 2016 as a result of this change. 3 The expected return on assets assumption is calculated based on the plan’s asset allocation strategy and projected market returns over the long-term. Effective January 1, 2017 , our return on assets assumption for the U.S. plan and U.K. plan remained unchanged at 6.25% . Cash Flows In December of 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (the “Act”) was enacted. The Act established a prescription drug benefit under Medicare, known as “Medicare Part D”, and a federal subsidy to sponsors of retiree healthcare benefit plans that provide a benefit that is at least actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D. Our benefits provided to certain participants are at least actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D, and, accordingly, we are entitled to a subsidy. Expected employer contributions in 2017 are $8 million for each of our retirement and postretirement plans. In 2017 , we may elect to make additional non-required contributions depending on investment performance and the pension plan status. Information about the expected cash flows for our retirement and postretirement plans and the impact of the Medicare subsidy is as follows: (in millions) Postretirement Plans 2 Retirement 1 Plans Gross payments Retiree contributions Medicare subsidy 3 Net payments 2017 $ 88 $ 12 $ (4 ) $ — $ 8 2018 90 11 (4 ) — 7 2019 93 10 (3 ) — 7 2020 96 9 (3 ) — 6 2021 98 8 (3 ) — 5 2022-2026 527 30 (12 ) — 18 1 Reflects the total benefits expected to be paid from the plans or from our assets including both our share of the benefit cost and the participants’ share of the cost. 2 Reflects the total benefits expected to be paid from our assets. 3 Expected medicare subsidy amounts, for the years presented, are less than $1 million . Fair Value of Plan Assets In accordance with authoritative guidance for fair value measurements certain assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value. Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received for selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. A fair value hierarchy has been established which requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows: • Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. • Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The fair value of our defined benefit plans assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , by asset class is as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Cash and short-term investments $ 38 $ 38 $ — $ — Equities: U.S. indexes 1 69 69 — — U.S. growth and value 103 103 — — U.K. 3 3 — — International, excluding U.K. 38 38 — — Fixed income: Long duration strategy 2 970 — 970 — Intermediate duration securities 32 — 32 — Agency mortgage backed securities 5 — 5 — Asset backed securities 19 — 19 — Non-agency mortgage backed securities 3 20 — 20 — International 16 — 16 — Real Estate U.K. 4 11 — — 11 Other — — — — Total $ 1,324 $ 251 $ 1,062 $ 11 Collective investment funds 749 Total $ 2,073 (in millions) December 31, 2015 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Cash, short-term investments, and other $ 1 $ 1 $ — $ — Equities: U.S. indexes 1 63 63 — — U.S. growth and value 92 92 — — U.K. 6 6 — — International, excluding U.K. 35 35 — — Fixed income: Long duration strategy 2 969 — 969 — Intermediate duration securities 31 — 31 — Agency mortgage backed securities 6 — 6 — Asset backed securities 17 — 17 — Non-agency mortgage backed securities 3 23 — 23 — International 17 — 17 — Other — — — — Total $ 1,260 $ 197 $ 1,063 $ — Collective investment funds 763 Total $ 2,023 1 Includes securities that are tracked in the S&P Smallcap 600 index. 2 Includes securities that are mainly investment grade obligations of issuers in the U.S. 3 Includes U.S. mortgage-backed securities that are not backed by the U.S. government. 4 Includes a fund which holds real estate properties in the U.K. For securities that are quoted in active markets, the trustee/custodian determines fair value by applying securities’ prices obtained from its pricing vendors. For commingled funds that are not actively traded, the trustee applies pricing information provided by investment management firms to the unit quantities of such funds. Investment management firms employ their own pricing vendors to value the securities underlying each commingled fund. Underlying securities that are not actively traded derive their prices from investment managers, which in turn, employ vendors that use pricing models (e.g., discounted cash flow, comparables). The domestic defined benefit plans have no investment in our stock, except through the S&P 500 commingled trust index fund. The trustee obtains estimated prices from vendors for securities that are not easily quotable and they are categorized accordingly as Level 3. The following table details further information on our plan assets where we have used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3): (in millions) Level 3 Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ — Purchases 11 Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 11 Pension Trusts’ Asset Allocations There are two pension trusts, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K. • The U.S. pension trust had assets of $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , and the target allocations in 2016 include 68% debt securities and short-term investments, 27% domestic equities and 5% international equities. • The U.K. pension trust had assets of $441 million and $425 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively, and the target allocations in 2016 include 40% fixed income, 30% diversified growth funds, 20% equities and 10% real estate . The pension assets are invested with the goal of producing a combination of capital growth, income and a liability hedge. The mix of assets is established after consideration of the long-term performance and risk characteristics of asset classes. Investments are selected based on their potential to enhance returns, preserve capital and reduce overall volatility. Holdings are diversified within each asset class. The portfolios employ a mix of index and actively managed equity strategies by market capitalization, style, geographic regions and economic sectors. The fixed income strategies include U.S. long duration securities, opportunistic fixed income securities and U.K. debt instruments. The short-term portfolio, whose primary goal is capital preservation for liquidity purposes, is composed of government and government-agency securities, uninvested cash, receivables and payables. The portfolios do not employ any financial leverage. U.S. Defined Contribution Plans Assets of the defined contribution plans in the U.S. consist primarily of investment options which include actively managed equity, indexed equity, actively managed equity/bond funds, target date funds, S&P Global Inc. common stock, stable value and money market strategies. There is also a self-directed mutual fund investment option. The plans purchased 216,035 shares and sold 437,283 shares of S&P Global Inc. common stock in 2016 and purchased 223,656 shares and sold 247,984 shares of S&P Global Inc. common stock in 2015 . The plans held approximately 1.6 million shares of S&P Global Inc. common stock as of December 31, 2016 and 1.8 million shares as of December 31, 2015 , with market values of $171 million and $179 million , respectively. The plans received dividends on S&P Global Inc. common stock of $2 million during both the years ended December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 .

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation We issue stock-based incentive awards to our eligible employees and Directors under the 2002 Employee Stock Incentive Plan and a Director Deferred Stock Ownership Plan. • 2002 Employee Stock Incentive Plan (the “2002 Plan”) – The 2002 Plan permits the granting of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance stock, restricted stock and other stock-based awards. • Director Deferred Stock Ownership Plan – Under this plan, common stock reserved may be credited to deferred stock accounts for eligible Directors. In general, the plan requires that 50% of eligible Directors’ annual compensation plus dividend equivalents be credited to deferred stock accounts. Each Director may also elect to defer all or a portion of the remaining compensation and have an equivalent number of shares credited to the deferred stock account. Recipients under this plan are not required to provide consideration to us other than rendering service. Shares will be delivered as of the date a recipient ceases to be a member of the Board of Directors or within five years thereafter, if so elected. The plan will remain in effect until terminated by the Board of Directors or until no shares of stock remain available under the plan. The number of common shares reserved for issuance are as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 Shares available for granting under the 2002 Plan 33.5 32.8 Options outstanding 3.8 5.8 Total shares reserved for issuance 1 37.3 38.6 1 Shares reserved for issuance under the Director Deferred Stock Ownership Plan are not included in the total, but are approximately 0.1 million . We issue treasury shares upon exercise of stock options and the issuance of restricted stock and unit awards. To offset the dilutive effect of the exercise of employee stock options, we periodically repurchase shares. See Note 9 – Equity for further discussion. Stock-based compensation expense and the corresponding tax benefit are as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Stock option expense $ 7 $ 14 $ 21 Restricted stock and unit awards expense 69 64 79 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 76 $ 78 $ 100 Tax benefit $ 29 $ 29 $ 38 Stock-based compensation of $2 million is recorded in discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2014, as a result of the sale of McGraw Hill Construction described further in Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures . Stock Options Stock options may not be granted at a price less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. Stock options granted vest over a three year service period in equal annual installments and have a maximum term of 10 years . Stock option compensation costs are recognized from the date of grant, utilizing a three -year graded vesting method. Under this method, one-third of the costs are ratably recognized over the first twelve months , one-third of the costs are ratably recognized over a twenty-four month period starting from the date of grant with the remaining costs ratably recognized over a thirty-six month period starting from the date of grant. We use a lattice-based option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of options granted. The following assumptions were used in valuing the options granted: Year Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Risk-free average interest rate 0.2 - 1.9% 0.1 - 2.9% Dividend yield 1.4% 1.4 - 1.8% Volatility 21 - 39% 18 - 41% Expected life (years) 6.3 6.21 - 6.25 Weighted-average grant-date fair value per option $ 27.57 $ 23.41 Because lattice-based option-pricing models incorporate ranges of assumptions, those ranges are disclosed. These assumptions are based on multiple factors, including historical exercise patterns, post-vesting termination rates, expected future exercise patterns and the expected volatility of our stock price. The risk-free interest rate is the imputed forward rate based on the U.S. Treasury yield at the date of grant. We use the historical volatility of our stock price over the expected term of the options to estimate the expected volatility. The expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the lattice model and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. During 2015, we stopped granting stock options as part of our employees' total stock-based incentive awards. There were no stock options granted in 2016 and a minimal amount of stock options granted in 2015. Stock option activity is as follows: (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted average exercise price Weighted-average remaining years of contractual term Aggregate intrinsic value Options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 5.8 $ 45.61 Exercised (1.9 ) $ 95.87 Canceled, forfeited and expired (0.1 ) $ 69.93 Options outstanding as of December 31, 2016 3.8 $ 43.36 3.6 $ 246 Options exercisable as of December 31, 2016 3.7 $ 41.87 3.5 $ 242 (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted-average grant-date fair value Nonvested options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 0.8 $ 19.82 Vested (0.5 ) $ 19.35 Forfeited (0.1 ) $ 21.84 Nonvested options outstanding as of December 31, 2016 0.2 $ 23.42 Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options 1 $ — Weighted-average years to be recognized over 0.3 1 There is less than $1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options. The total fair value of our stock options that vested during the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 was $7 million , $11 million and $6 million , respectively. Information regarding our stock option exercises is as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Net cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options $ 88 $ 86 $ 193 Total intrinsic value of stock option exercises $ 95 $ 94 $ 168 Income tax benefit realized from stock option exercises $ 41 $ 49 $ 73 Restricted Stock and Unit Awards Restricted stock and unit awards (performance and non-performance) have been granted under the 2002 Plan. Performance unit awards will vest only if we achieve certain financial goals over the performance period. Restricted stock non-performance awards have various vesting periods (generally three years ), with vesting beginning on the first anniversary of the awards. Recipients of restricted stock and unit awards are not required to provide consideration to us other than rendering service. The stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock and unit awards is determined based on the market price of our stock at the grant date of the award applied to the total number of awards that are anticipated to fully vest. For performance unit awards, adjustments are made to expense dependent upon financial goals achieved. Restricted stock and unit activity for performance and non-performance awards is as follows: (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted-average grant-date fair value Nonvested shares as of December 31, 2015 1.2 $ 92.39 Granted 0.9 $ 93.01 Vested (0.9 ) $ 106.81 Forfeited (0.2 ) $ 95.41 Nonvested shares as of December 31, 2016 1.0 $ 106.31 Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested awards $ 55 Weighted-average years to be recognized over 1.7 Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Weighted-average grant-date fair value per award $ 93.01 $ 77.06 $ 77.74 Total fair value of restricted stock and unit awards vested $ 99 $ 155 $ 88 Tax benefit relating to restricted stock activity $ 26 $ 24 $ 30 For the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , $41 million , $69 million and $128 million , respectively, of excess tax benefits from stock options exercises and restricted stock and unit award vestings are reported in our cash flows used for financing activities.

Equity

Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Equity [Abstract]
Equity	Equity Capital Stock Two million shares of preferred stock, par value $1 per share, are authorized; none have been issued. On January 25, 2017 , the Board of Directors approved an increase in the dividends for 2017 to a quarterly rate of $0.41 per common share. Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Quarterly dividend rate $ 0.36 $ 0.33 $ 0.30 Annualized dividend rate $ 1.44 $ 1.32 $ 1.20 Dividends paid (in millions) $ 380 $ 363 $ 326 Stock Repurchases On December 4, 2013, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the purchase of 50 million shares, which was approximately 18% of the total shares of our outstanding common stock at that time. Share repurchases were as follows: (in millions, except average price) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Total number of shares purchased 1 9.7 10.1 4.4 Average price paid per share 2, 3 $ 113.36 $ 99.00 $ 79.06 Total cash utilized 2 $ 1,097 $ 1,000 $ 352 1 2016 includes shares received as part of our accelerated share repurchase agreement as described in more detail below. 2 In December of 2015, 0.3 million shares were repurchased for approximately $26 million , which settled in January of 2016. Excluding these 0.3 million shares, the average price paid per share was $98.98 . In December of 2013, 0.1 million shares were repurchased for approximately $10 million , which settled in January of 2014. Cash used for financing activities only reflects those shares which settled during the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 resulting in $1,123 million , $974 million and $362 million of cash used to repurchase shares, respectively. 3 On June 25, 2014, we repurchased 0.5 million shares of the Company's common stock from the personal holdings of Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company, at a discount of 0.35% from the June 24, 2014 New York Stock Exchange closing price. We repurchased these shares with cash for $41 million at an average price of $82.66 per share. See Note 14 — Related Party Transactions for further information. Our purchased shares may be used for general corporate purposes, including the issuance of shares for stock compensation plans and to offset the dilutive effect of the exercise of employee stock options. As of December 31, 2016 , 25.8 million shares remained available under our current share repurchase program. Our current share repurchase program has no expiration date and purchases under this program may be made from time to time on the open market and in private transactions, depending on market conditions. Accelerated Share Repurchase Program Using a portion of the proceeds received from the sale of J.D. Power, we entered into an accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") agreement with a financial institution on September 7, 2016 to initiate share repurchases aggregating $750 million . The ASR agreement was structured as a capped ASR agreement in which we paid $750 million and received an initial delivery of approximately 4.4 million shares and an additional amount of 0.9 million shares during the month of September 2016, representing the minimum number of shares of our common stock to be repurchased based on a calculation using a specified capped price per share. We completed the ASR agreement on December 7, 2016 and received an additional 0.9 million shares, which settled on December 12, 2016. We repurchased a total of 6.1 million shares under the ASR agreement for an average purchase price of $122.18 per share. The total number of shares repurchased under the ASR agreement was based on the volume weighted-average share price, minus a discount, of our common stock over the term of the ASR agreement. The repurchased shares are held in Treasury. The ASR agreement was executed under the current share repurchase program, approved on December 4, 2013. The ASR agreement was accounted for as two transactions: a stock purchase transaction and a forward stock purchase contract. The shares delivered under the ASR agreement resulted in a reduction of our outstanding shares used to determine our weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of calculating basic and diluted earnings per share. The forward stock purchase contract was classified as an equity instrument. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests The agreement with the minority partners of our S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC partnership contains redemption features whereby interests held by minority partners are redeemable either (i) at the option of the holder or (ii) upon the occurrence of an event that is not solely within our control. Specifically, under the terms of the operating agreement of Indices LLC, after December 31, 2017 , CME Group and CME Group Index Services LLC ("CGIS") will have the right at any time to sell, and we are obligated to buy, at least 20% of their share in S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. In addition, in the event there is a change of control of the Company, for the 15 days following a change in control, CME Group and CGIS will have the right to put their interest to us at the then fair value of CME Group's and CGIS' minority interest. If interests were to be redeemed under this agreement, we would generally be required to purchase the interest at fair value on the date of redemption. This interest is presented on the consolidated balance sheets outside of equity under the caption “Redeemable noncontrolling interest” with an initial value based on fair value for the portion attributable to the net assets we acquired, and based on our historical cost for the portion attributable to our S&P Index business. We adjust the redeemable noncontrolling interest each reporting period to its estimated redemption value, but never less than its initial fair value, considering a combination of an income and market valuation approach. Our income and market valuation approaches may incorporate Level 3 fair value measures for instances when observable inputs are not available, including assumptions related to expected future net cash flows, long-term growth rates, the timing and nature of tax attributes, and the redemption features. Any adjustments to the redemption value will impact retained income. Noncontrolling interests that do not contain such redemption features are presented in equity. Ch anges to redeemable noncontrolling interest during the year ended December 31, 2016 were as follows: (in millions) Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 920 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 109 Distributions to noncontrolling interest (102 ) Redemption value adjustment 153 Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 1,080 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss The following table summarizes the changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 : (in millions) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Forward Exchange Contracts Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ (193 ) $ (406 ) $ (1 ) $ (600 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (139 ) (47 ) 7 (179 ) Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings — 10 1 (4 ) 2 6 Net other comprehensive income (139 ) (37 ) 3 (173 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ (332 ) $ (443 ) $ 2 $ (773 ) 1 See Note 7 — Employee Benefits for additional details of items reclassed from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings. 2 See Note 6 — Derivative Instruments for additional details of items reclassed from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings. The net actuarial loss and prior service cost related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans included in other comprehensive income is net of a tax provision of $5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 .

Earnings (Loss) per Share

Earnings (Loss) per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings (Loss) per Share Basic earnings (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to the common shareholders of the Company by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed in the same manner as basic earnings (loss) per share, except the number of shares is increased to include additional common shares that would have been outstanding if potential common shares with a dilutive effect had been issued. Potential common shares consist primarily of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units calculated using the treasury stock method. The calculation for basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share is as follows: (in millions, except per share data) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Amount attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 2,106 $ 1,156 $ (293 ) Income from discontinued operations — — 178 Net income (loss) attributable to the Company $ 2,106 $ 1,156 $ (115 ) Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 262.8 271.6 271.5 Effect of stock options and other dilutive securities 2.4 3.0 — Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 265.2 274.6 271.5 Income (loss) from continuing operations: Basic $ 8.02 $ 4.26 $ (1.08 ) Diluted $ 7.94 $ 4.21 $ (1.08 ) Income from discontinued operations: Basic $ — $ — $ 0.66 Diluted $ — $ — $ 0.66 Net income (loss): Basic $ 8.02 $ 4.26 $ (0.42 ) Diluted $ 7.94 $ 4.21 $ (0.42 ) Each period we have certain stock options and restricted performance shares that are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share. The effect of the potential exercise of stock options is excluded when the average market price of our common stock is lower than the exercise price of the related option during the period or when a loss from continuing operations exists because the effect would have been antidilutive. Additionally, restricted performance shares are excluded because the necessary vesting conditions had not been met or when a loss from continuing operations exists. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, there were no stock options excluded as compared to 2.9 million stock options excluded for the year ended December 31, 2014. Additionally, restricted performance shares outstanding of 0.7 million , 0.9 million and 3.2 million as of December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively, were excluded.

Restructuring

Restructuring	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring	Restructuring During 2016 and 2015 , we continued to evaluate our cost structure and further identified cost savings associated with streamlining our management structure and our decision to exit non-strategic businesses. Our 2016 and 2015 restructuring plans consisted of a company-wide workforce reduction of approximately 230 positions and 550 positions, respectively, and are further detailed below. The charges for each restructuring plan are classified as selling and general expenses within the consolidated statements of income and the reserves are included in other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. In certain circumstances, reserves are no longer needed because of efficiencies in carrying out the plans or because employees previously identified for separation resigned from the Company and did not receive severance or were reassigned due to circumstances not foreseen when the original plans were initiated. In these cases, we reverse reserves through the consolidated statements of income during the period when it is determined they are no longer needed. There was approximately $7 million of reserves from the 2015 restructuring plan that we have reversed in 2016, which offset the initial charge of $63 million recorded for the 2015 restructuring plan. Also, there was approximately $7 million of reserves from the 2014 restructuring plan that we have reversed in 2015, which offset the initial charge of $86 million recorded for the 2014 restructuring plan. The initial restructuring charge recorded and the ending reserve balance as of December 31, 2016 by segment is as follows: 2016 Restructuring Plan 2015 Restructuring Plan (in millions) Initial Charge Recorded Ending Reserve Balance Initial Charge Recorded Ending Reserve Balance Ratings $ 14 $ 10 $ 18 2 Market and Commodities Intelligence 10 8 34 4 Indices 1 1 — — Corporate 5 4 11 4 Total $ 30 $ 23 $ 63 $ 10 For the year ended December 31, 2016 , we have reduced the reserve for the 2016 restructuring plan by $7 million and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 , we have reduced the reserve for the 2015 restructuring plan by $40 million and $13 million , respectively. The reductions primarily related to cash payments for employee severance costs.

Segment and Geographic Informat

Segment and Geographic Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment and Geographic Information	Segment and Geographic Information As discussed in Note 1 – Accounting Policies , we have three reportable segments: Ratings, Market and Commodities Intelligence and Indices. Our Chief Executive Officer is our chief operating decision-maker and evaluates performance of our segments and allocates resources based primarily on operating profit. Segment operating profit does not include unallocated expense or interest expense, as these are costs that do not affect the operating results of our segments. We use the same accounting policies for our segments as those described in Note 1 – Accounting Policie s. Effective beginning with the fourth quarter of 2016, we realigned certain of our reportable segments to be consistent with changes to our organizational structure and how our Chief Executive Officer evaluates the performance of these segments. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016, S&P Global Market Intelligence and S&P Global Platts are included in a new reportable segment named Market and Commodities Intelligence. Our historical segment reporting has been retroactively revised to reflect the current organizational structure. Segment information for the years ended December 31 is as follows: (in millions) Revenue Operating Profit (Loss) 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Ratings 1 $ 2,535 $ 2,428 $ 2,455 $ 1,262 $ 1,078 $ (583 ) Market and Commodities Intelligence 2 2,585 2,376 2,130 1,822 585 518 Indices 3 639 597 552 412 392 347 Intersegment elimination 4 (98 ) (88 ) (86 ) — — — Total operating segments 5,661 5,313 5,051 3,496 2,055 282 Unallocated expense 5 — — — (127 ) (138 ) (169 ) Total $ 5,661 $ 5,313 $ 5,051 $ 3,369 $ 1,917 $ 113 1 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily includes a benefit related to net legal settlement insurance recoveries of $10 million and restructuring charges of $6 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2015 includes net legal settlement expenses of $54 million and restructuring charges of $13 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes legal and regulatory settlements of $1.6 billion and restructuring charges of $45 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. 2 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 includes a $1.1 billion gain from our dispositions, disposition-related costs of $48 million , a technology-related impairment charge of $24 million and an acquisition-related cost of $1 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2015 includes acquisition-related costs related to the acquisition of SNL of $37 million and costs identified operating efficiencies primarily related to restructuring of $33 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes restructuring charges of $25 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $85 million , $57 million and $37 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. 3 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes the impact of professional fees largely related to corporate development activities of $4 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. 4 Revenue for Ratings and expenses for Market and Commodities Intelligence include an intersegment royalty charged to Market and Commodities Intelligence for the rights to use and distribute content and data developed by Ratings. 5 The year ended December 31, 2016 includes $3 million from a disposition-related reserve release. The year ended December 31, 2015 includes a gain of $11 million related to the sale of our interest in a legacy McGraw Hill Construction investment and costs related to identified operating efficiencies primarily related to restructuring of $10 million . The year ended December 31, 2014 includes restructuring charges of $16 million . (in millions) Depreciation & Amortization Capital Expenditures 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Ratings $ 34 $ 43 $ 43 $ 42 $ 48 $ 33 Market and Commodities Intelligence 131 99 74 57 78 49 Indices 8 8 7 3 4 2 Total operating segments 173 150 124 102 130 84 Corporate 8 7 10 13 9 8 Total $ 181 $ 157 $ 134 $ 115 $ 139 $ 92 Segment information as of December 31 is as follows: (in millions) Total Assets 2016 2015 Ratings $ 612 $ 620 Market and Commodities Intelligence 4,104 4,011 Indices 1,247 1,181 Total operating segments 5,963 5,812 Corporate 1 2,699 1,868 Assets of a business held for sale 2 7 503 Total $ 8,669 $ 8,183 1 Corporate assets consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, assets for pension benefits, deferred income taxes and leasehold improvements related to subleased areas. 2 Includes QuantHouse and J.D. Power as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We have operations with foreign revenue and long-lived assets in approximately 95 countries. We do not have operations in any foreign country that represent more than 8% of our consolidated revenue. Transfers between geographic areas are recorded at agreed upon prices and intercompany revenue and profit are eliminated. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated revenue. The following provides revenue and long-lived assets by geographic region: (in millions) Revenue Long-lived Assets Year ended December 31, December 31, 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 U.S. $ 3,461 $ 3,202 $ 2,911 $ 4,335 $ 4,198 European region 1,330 1,265 1,316 341 419 Asia 575 566 528 58 63 Rest of the world 295 280 296 46 50 Total $ 5,661 $ 5,313 $ 5,051 $ 4,780 $ 4,730 Revenue Long-lived Assets Year ended December 31, December 31, 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 U.S. 61 % 60 % 58 % 91 % 89 % European region 24 24 26 7 9 Asia 10 11 10 1 1 Rest of the world 5 5 6 1 1 Total 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % See Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures and Note 11 – Restructuring , for actions that impacted the segment operating results.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Rental Expense and Lease Obligations We are committed under lease arrangements covering property, computer systems and office equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their economic lives or their lease term. Certain lease arrangements contain escalation clauses covering increased costs for various defined real estate taxes and operating services and the associated fees are recognized on a straight-line basis over the minimum lease period. Rental expense for property and equipment under all operating lease agreements is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Gross rental expense $ 179 $ 182 $ 199 Less: sublease revenue (16 ) (14 ) (16 ) Less: Rock-McGraw rent credit — (4 ) (23 ) Net rental expense $ 163 $ 164 $ 160 In December of 2003, we sold our 45% equity investment in Rock-McGraw, Inc., which owned our then headquarters building in New York City, and remained an anchor tenant by concurrently leasing back space from the buyer through 2020. Proceeds from the disposition were $382 million and the sale resulted in a pre-tax gain, net of transaction costs, of $131 million ( $58 million after-tax) upon disposition. As a result of the amount of building space we retained through our leaseback, a pre-tax gain of $212 million ( $126 million after-tax) was deferred upon the disposition in 2003. In December of 2013, we entered into an arrangement with the buyer to shorten the lease to December of 2015 in exchange for approximately $60 million which was recorded as a reduction to the unrecognized deferred gain from the sale. The remaining gain was amortized over the remaining lease term as a reduction in rent expense. The amount of gain recognized for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $4 million and $21 million , respectively. The lease terminated in December of 2015. Cash amounts for future minimum rental commitments under existing non-cancelable leases with a remaining term of more than one year, along with minimum sublease rental income to be received under non-cancelable subleases are shown in the following table. (in millions) Rent commitment Sublease income Net rent 2017 $ 116 $ (17 ) $ 99 2018 110 (17 ) 93 2019 100 (17 ) 83 2020 73 (3 ) 70 2021 63 — 63 2022 and beyond 540 — 540 Total $ 1,002 $ (54 ) $ 948 Legal & Regulatory Matters In the normal course of business both in the United States and abroad, the Company and its subsidiaries are defendants in a number of legal proceedings and are often the subject of government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries. Many of these proceedings, investigations and inquiries relate to the ratings activity of S&P Global Ratings brought by issuers and alleged purchasers of rated securities. In addition, various government and self-regulatory agencies frequently make inquiries and conduct investigations into our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to ratings activities and antitrust matters. Any of these proceedings, investigations or inquiries could ultimately result in adverse judgments, damages, fines, penalties or activity restrictions, which could adversely impact our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business or competitive position. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to the pending claims and potential claims in the matters described below and is diligently pursuing these defenses, and in some cases working to reach an acceptable negotiated resolution. However, in view of the uncertainty inherent in litigation and government and regulatory enforcement matters, we cannot predict the eventual outcome of these matters or the timing of their resolution, or in most cases reasonably estimate what the eventual judgments, damages, fines, penalties or impact of activity restrictions may be. As a result, we cannot provide assurance that the outcome of the matters described below will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business or competitive position. As litigation or the process to resolve pending matters progresses, as the case may be, we will continue to review the latest information available and assess our ability to predict the outcome of such matters and the effects, if any, on our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business and competitive position, which may require that we record liabilities in the consolidated financial statements in future periods. With respect to the matters identified below, we have recognized a liability when both (a) information available indicates that it is probable that a liability has been incurred as of the date of these financial statements and (b) the amount of loss can reasonably be estimated. S&P Global Ratings Financial Crisis Litigation The Company and its subsidiaries continue to defend civil cases brought by private and public plaintiffs arising out of ratings activities prior to and during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Included in these civil cases are seven lawsuits in Australia against the Company and Standard & Poor’s International, LLC relating to alleged investment losses in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) rated by S&P Global Ratings. Discovery in certain of these cases, including the Australia matters, is ongoing. We can provide no assurance that we will not be obligated to pay significant amounts in order to resolve these matters on terms deemed acceptable. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission As a nationally recognized statistical rating organization registered with the SEC under Section 15E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, S&P Global Ratings is in ongoing communication with the staff of the SEC regarding compliance with its extensive obligations under the federal securities laws. Although S&P Global Ratings seeks to promptly address any compliance issues that it detects or that the staff of the SEC raises, there can be no assurance that the SEC will not seek remedies against S&P Global Ratings for one or more compliance deficiencies. Trani Prosecutorial Proceeding The prosecutor in the Italian city of Trani has obtained criminal indictments against several current and former S&P Global Ratings managers and ratings analysts for alleged market manipulation, and against Standard & Poor’s Credit Market Services Europe under Italy’s vicarious liability statute, for having allegedly failed to properly supervise the ratings analysts and prevent them from committing market manipulation. The prosecutor’s theories are based on various actions by S&P Global Ratings taken with respect to Italian sovereign debt between May of 2011 and January of 2012. Trial commenced in February of 2015 and closing arguments are scheduled for January and February of 2017. Apart from criminal penalties that might be imposed following a conviction, such conviction could also lead to civil damages claims and other sanctions against Standard & Poor’s Credit Market Services Europe or the Company. Such claims and sanctions cannot be quantified at this stage. Shareholder Derivative Actions In August of 2015, two purported shareholders commenced a putative derivative action on behalf of the Company in New York State Supreme Court titled Retirement Plan for General Employees of the City of North Miami Beach and Robin Stein v. Harold McGraw III, et al. The complaint asserts claims for, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, and mismanagement against the board of directors, certain former directors of the Company, and three former S&P Global Ratings employees. Plaintiffs seek recovery from the defendants based primarily on allegations that S&P Global Ratings’ credit ratings practices for certain residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations misrepresented the credit risks of those securities, allegedly resulting in losses to the Company. The Company and the individual defendants filed motions to dismiss the complaint in October of 2015. Plaintiffs filed an opposition in December of 2015, and the Company and the individual defendants filed their reply briefs in January of 2016. In January of 2016, a different purported shareholder commenced a separate putative derivative action on behalf of the Company in New York State Supreme Court titled L.A. Grika v. Harold McGraw III, et al. The allegations in the complaint are substantially similar to those in the North Miami Beach matter described above. The complaint asserts claims for, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, contribution and indemnification against Harold McGraw III, Douglas L. Peterson, and nine former S&P Global Ratings employees. The case was transferred to the judge presiding over the North Miami Beach action. The Company and the individual defendants filed motions to dismiss the Grika complaint in May of 2016. Plaintiffs filed an opposition in June of 2016, and the Company and the individual defendants filed their reply briefs in July of 2016. The court notified the parties in August of 2016 that it will be issuing written decisions on the outstanding motions to dismiss without oral argument. In December 2016, the court issued two orders granting the motions to dismiss in both the North Miami Beach and the Grika matters. In January 2017, the plaintiffs in the North Miami Beach and Grika matters filed notices of appeal of the court’s dismissal of those actions.

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions On July 31, 2014, we completed the sale of the Company's aircraft to Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company ("Mr. McGraw") for a purchase price of $20 million , which was modestly higher than the independent appraisal obtained. This transaction was approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Company's Board of Directors after consultation with members of the Financial Policy Committee. During the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $6 million in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income as a result of the pending sale. On June 25, 2014, we repurchased 0.5 million shares of the Company's common stock from the personal holdings of Mr. McGraw. The shares were purchased at a discount of 0.35% from the June 24, 2014 New York Stock Exchange closing price pursuant to a private transaction with Mr. McGraw. We repurchased these shares with cash for $41 million at an average price of $82.66 per share. This transaction was approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Company's Board of Directors after consultation with members of the Financial Policy Committee. In June of 2012, we entered into a license agreement (the "License Agreement") with the holder of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC noncontrolling interest, CME Group, which replaced the 2005 license agreement between Indices and CME Group. Under the terms of the License Agreement, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC receives a share of the profits from the trading and clearing of CME Group's equity index products. During the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC earned $76 million , $63 million and $52 million of revenue under the terms of the License Agreement, respectively. The entire amount of this revenue is included in our consolidated statement of income and the portion related to the 27% noncontrolling interest is removed in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests.

Quarterly Financial Information

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)	Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (in millions, except per share data) First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Total year 2016 (1) Revenue $ 1,341 $ 1,482 $ 1,439 $ 1,399 $ 5,661 Operating profit $ 512 $ 651 $ 1,348 $ 857 $ 3,369 Net income $ 323 $ 412 $ 923 $ 569 $ 2,228 Net income attributable to S&P Global common shareholders $ 294 $ 383 $ 892 $ 537 $ 2,106 Earnings per share attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Net income: Basic $ 1.11 $ 1.45 $ 3.39 $ 2.07 $ 8.02 Diluted $ 1.10 $ 1.44 $ 3.36 $ 2.05 $ 7.94 2015 Revenue $ 1,273 $ 1,342 $ 1,324 $ 1,374 $ 5,313 Operating profit $ 501 $ 582 $ 410 $ 424 $ 1,917 Net income $ 329 $ 381 $ 281 $ 276 $ 1,268 Net income attributable to S&P Global common shareholders $ 303 $ 353 $ 252 $ 248 $ 1,156 Earnings per share attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Net income: Basic $ 1.11 $ 1.29 $ 0.93 $ 0.92 $ 4.26 Diluted $ 1.10 $ 1.28 $ 0.92 $ 0.91 $ 4.21 Note - Totals presented may not sum due to rounding. 1 The third quarter of 2016 and the fourth of 2016 include a pre-tax gain on our dispositions of $722 million ( $521 million after-tax) and $379 million ( $297 million after-tax), respectively. See Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures for further information.

Condensed Consolidating Financi

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]
Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements	Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements On September 22, 2016, we issued $500 million of 2.95% senior notes due in 2027. On May 26, 2015, we issued $700 million of 4.0% senior notes due in 2025. On August 18, 2015, we issued $2.0 billion of senior notes, consisting of $400 million of 2.5% senior notes due in 2018, $700 million of 3.3% senior notes due in 2020 and $900 million of 4.4% senior notes due in 2026. See Note 5 — Debt for additional information. The senior notes described above are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following condensed consolidating financial statements present the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of S&P Global Inc., Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries of S&P Global Inc. and Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and the eliminations necessary to arrive at the information for the Company on a consolidated basis. Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 667 $ 1,513 $ 3,607 $ (126 ) $ 5,661 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 109 451 1,335 (126 ) 1,769 Selling and general expenses 113 243 1,087 — 1,443 Depreciation 38 9 38 — 85 Amortization of intangibles — — 96 — 96 Total expenses 260 703 2,556 (126 ) 3,393 Gain on dispositions (1,072 ) — (29 ) — (1,101 ) Operating profit 1,479 810 1,080 — 3,369 Interest expense (income), net 191 — (10 ) — 181 Non-operating intercompany transactions 356 (83 ) (941 ) 668 — Income before taxes on income 932 893 2,031 (668 ) 3,188 Provision for taxes on income 275 420 265 — 960 Equity in net income of subsidiaries 2,412 294 — (2,706 ) — Net income 3,069 767 1,766 (3,374 ) 2,228 Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (122 ) (122 ) Net income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ 3,069 $ 767 $ 1,766 $ (3,496 ) $ 2,106 Comprehensive income $ 3,099 $ 767 $ 1,563 $ (3,374 ) $ 2,055 Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 624 $ 2,141 $ 2,663 $ (115 ) $ 5,313 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 119 737 959 (115 ) 1,700 Selling and general expenses 202 254 1,094 — 1,550 Depreciation 40 18 32 — 90 Amortization of intangibles — — 67 — 67 Total expenses 361 1,009 2,152 (115 ) 3,407 Gain on dispositions — — (11 ) — (11 ) Operating profit 263 1,132 522 — 1,917 Interest expense (income), net 112 — (10 ) — 102 Non-operating intercompany transactions 282 222 (504 ) — — (Loss) income before taxes on income (131 ) 910 1,036 — 1,815 (Benefit) provision for taxes on income (107 ) 358 296 — 547 Equity in net income of subsidiaries 1,473 272 — (1,745 ) — Net income 1,449 824 740 (1,745 ) 1,268 Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (112 ) (112 ) Net income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ 1,449 $ 824 $ 740 $ (1,857 ) $ 1,156 Comprehensive income $ 1,446 $ 822 $ 655 $ (1,741 ) $ 1,182 Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2014 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 598 $ 2,043 $ 2,525 $ (115 ) $ 5,051 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 117 764 885 (115 ) 1,651 Selling and general expenses 257 1,975 912 — 3,144 Depreciation 41 17 28 — 86 Amortization of intangibles 4 — 44 — 48 Total expenses 419 2,756 1,869 (115 ) 4,929 Loss on dispositions 3 — 6 — 9 Operating profit (loss) 176 (713 ) 650 — 113 Interest expense (income), net 66 — (7 ) — 59 Non-operating intercompany transactions 193 38 (231 ) — — (Loss) income from continuing operations before taxes on income (83 ) (751 ) 888 — 54 (Benefit) provision for taxes on income (22 ) 16 251 — 245 Equity in net (loss) income of subsidiaries (443 ) 248 — 195 — (Loss) income from continuing operations (504 ) (519 ) 637 195 (191 ) Discontinued operations, net of tax: Income from discontinued operations 18 — — — 18 Gain on sale of discontinued operations 160 — — — 160 Discontinued operations, net 178 — — — 178 Net (loss) income $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 195 $ (13 ) Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (102 ) (102 ) Net (loss) income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 93 $ (115 ) Comprehensive income $ (495 ) $ (544 ) $ 513 $ 195 $ (331 ) Balance Sheet December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 711 $ — $ 1,681 $ — $ 2,392 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 138 131 853 1,122 Intercompany receivable (165 ) 837 870 (1,542 ) — Prepaid and other current assets 77 2 72 (1 ) 150 Assets of a business held for sale — — 7 — 7 Total current assets 761 970 3,483 (1,543 ) 3,671 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 159 1 111 271 Goodwill 261 — 2,679 9 2,949 Other intangible assets, net — — 1,506 — 1,506 Investments in subsidiaries 5,464 680 7,826 (13,970 ) — Intercompany loans receivable 17 — 1,354 (1,371 ) — Other non-current assets 134 24 114 — 272 Total assets $ 6,796 $ 1,675 $ 17,073 $ (16,875 ) $ 8,669 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 73 $ 22 $ 88 $ — $ 183 Intercompany payable 1,324 40 177 (1,541 ) — Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans 129 69 211 — 409 Income taxes currently payable 43 — 52 — 95 Unearned revenue 273 191 1,045 — 1,509 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements 2 3 51 56 Other current liabilities 163 (54 ) 205 — 314 Liabilities of a business held for sale — — 45 — 45 Total current liabilities 2,007 271 1,874 (1,541 ) 2,611 Long-term debt 3,564 — — — 3,564 Intercompany loans payable 11 — 1,360 (1,371 ) — Pension and other postretirement benefits 196 — 78 — 274 Other non-current liabilities 52 74 314 (1 ) 439 Total liabilities 5,830 345 3,626 (2,913 ) 6,888 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 1,080 1,080 Equity: Common stock 412 — 2,460 (2,460 ) 412 Additional paid-in capital (174 ) 1,154 10,485 (10,963 ) 502 Retained income 9,721 176 1,034 (1,721 ) 9,210 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (292 ) — (525 ) 44 (773 ) Less: common stock in treasury (8,701 ) — (7 ) 7 (8,701 ) Total equity - controlling interests 966 1,330 13,447 (15,093 ) 650 Total equity - noncontrolling interests 51 51 Total equity 966 1,330 13,447 (15,042 ) 701 Total liabilities and equity $ 6,796 $ 1,675 $ 17,073 $ (16,875 ) $ 8,669 Balance Sheet December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 167 $ — $ 1,314 $ — $ 1,481 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 116 319 556 — 991 Intercompany receivable 208 1,872 1,273 (3,353 ) — Deferred income taxes 75 10 24 — 109 Prepaid and other current assets 120 13 80 (1 ) 212 Assets of a business held for sale 4 — 499 — 503 Total current assets 690 2,214 3,746 (3,354 ) 3,296 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 141 3 126 — 270 Goodwill 17 40 2,816 9 2,882 Other intangible assets, net — — 1,522 — 1,522 Investments in subsidiaries 4,651 659 7,316 (12,626 ) — Intercompany loans receivable 16 368 1,733 (2,117 ) — Other non-current assets 67 19 127 — 213 Total assets $ 5,582 $ 3,303 $ 17,386 $ (18,088 ) $ 8,183 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 71 $ 54 $ 81 $ — $ 206 Intercompany payable 2,144 675 535 (3,354 ) — Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans 127 89 167 — 383 Short-term debt 143 — — — 143 Income taxes currently payable 1 — 55 — 56 Unearned revenue 254 586 582 (1 ) 1,421 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 115 6 — 121 Other current liabilities 190 (50 ) 232 — 372 Liabilities of a business held for sale 80 — 126 — 206 Total current liabilities 3,010 1,469 1,784 (3,355 ) 2,908 Long-term debt 3,468 — — — 3,468 Intercompany loans payable 21 — 2,096 (2,117 ) — Pension and other postretirement benefits 230 — 46 — 276 Other non-current liabilities (25 ) 98 295 — 368 Total liabilities 6,704 1,567 4,221 (5,472 ) 7,020 Redeemable noncontrolling interest — — — 920 920 Equity: Common stock 412 — 2,337 (2,337 ) 412 Additional paid-in capital (184 ) 1,179 10,174 (10,694 ) 475 Retained income 6,701 557 987 (609 ) 7,636 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (322 ) — (322 ) 44 (600 ) Less: common stock in treasury (7,729 ) — (12 ) 12 (7,729 ) Total equity - controlling interests (1,122 ) 1,736 13,164 (13,584 ) 194 Total equity - noncontrolling interests — — 1 48 49 Total equity (1,122 ) 1,736 13,165 (13,536 ) 243 Total liabilities and equity $ 5,582 $ 3,303 $ 17,386 $ (18,088 ) $ 8,183 Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net income $ 3,069 $ 767 $ 1,766 $ (3,374 ) $ 2,228 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 38 9 38 — 85 Amortization of intangibles — — 96 — 96 Provision for losses on accounts receivable 1 — 8 — 9 Deferred income taxes 16 (9 ) 72 — 79 Stock-based compensation 22 17 37 — 76 Gain on dispositions (1,072 ) — (29 ) — (1,101 ) Accrued legal and regulatory settlements 3 1 50 — 54 Other 48 5 (23 ) — 30 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable (24 ) 187 (340 ) — (177 ) Prepaid and current assets (9 ) 10 (3 ) — (2 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (53 ) (39 ) 66 — (26 ) Unearned revenue 19 (395 ) 483 — 107 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (108 ) (42 ) — (150 ) Other current liabilities (29 ) (27 ) 35 — (21 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes 99 — 33 — 132 Net change in other assets and liabilities (9 ) 38 16 — 45 Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations 2,119 456 2,263 (3,374 ) 1,464 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (68 ) (15 ) (32 ) — (115 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (144 ) — (33 ) — (177 ) Proceeds from dispositions 1,422 — 76 — 1,498 Changes in short-term investments — — (1 ) — (1 ) Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations 1,210 (15 ) 10 — 1,205 Financing Activities: Payments on short-term debt, net (143 ) — — — (143 ) Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net 493 — — — 493 Payments on senior notes (421 ) — — — (421 ) Dividends paid to shareholders (380 ) — — — (380 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (116 ) — (116 ) Contingent consideration payments (5 ) — (34 ) — (39 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (1,123 ) — — — (1,123 ) Exercise of stock options 86 — 2 — 88 Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 41 — — — 41 Intercompany financing activities (1,333 ) (441 ) (1,600 ) 3,374 — Cash used for financing activities from continuing operations (2,785 ) (441 ) (1,748 ) 3,374 (1,600 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations — — (158 ) — (158 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents 544 — 367 — 911 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 167 — 1,314 — 1,481 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 711 $ — $ 1,681 $ — $ 2,392 Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net income $ 1,449 $ 824 $ 740 $ (1,745 ) $ 1,268 Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 40 18 32 — 90 Amortization of intangibles — — 67 — 67 Provision for losses on accounts receivable 1 1 6 — 8 Deferred income taxes 33 290 (43 ) — 280 Stock-based compensation 23 24 31 — 78 Gain on dispositions — — (11 ) — (11 ) Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 110 9 — 119 Other 23 16 18 — 57 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable 3 (27 ) (94 ) — (118 ) Prepaid and current assets (13 ) 14 (5 ) — (4 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (75 ) (34 ) 17 — (92 ) Unearned revenue (5 ) 66 68 — 129 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (1,624 ) — — (1,624 ) Other current liabilities (32 ) (35 ) (11 ) — (78 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes (54 ) — 115 — 61 Net change in other assets and liabilities 78 8 (121 ) — (35 ) Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations 1,471 (349 ) 818 (1,745 ) 195 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (67 ) (10 ) (62 ) — (139 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (2,243 ) — (153 ) — (2,396 ) Proceeds from dispositions — — 14 — 14 Changes in short-term investments — — (4 ) — (4 ) Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations (2,310 ) (10 ) (205 ) — (2,525 ) Financing Activities: Additions to short-term debt, net 143 — — — 143 Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net 2,674 — — — 2,674 Dividends paid to shareholders (363 ) — — — (363 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (104 ) — (104 ) Contingent consideration payments (5 ) — — — (5 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (974 ) — — — (974 ) Exercise of stock options 80 — 6 — 86 Purchase of additional CRISIL shares — — (16 ) — (16 ) Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 69 — — — 69 Intercompany financing activities (2,020 ) 359 (84 ) 1,745 — Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations (396 ) 359 (198 ) 1,745 1,510 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations — — (67 ) — (67 ) Cash (used for) provided by continuing operations (1,235 ) — 348 — (887 ) Discontinued Operations: Cash used for operating activities — — (129 ) — (129 ) Cash used for discontinued operations — — (129 ) — (129 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (1,235 ) — 219 — (1,016 ) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 1,402 — 1,095 — 2,497 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 167 $ — $ 1,314 $ — $ 1,481 Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2014 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net (loss) income $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 195 $ (13 ) Less: discontinued operations, net 178 — — — 178 (Loss) income from continuing operations (504 ) (519 ) 637 195 (191 ) Adjustments to reconcile (loss) income from continuing operations to cash (used for) provided by operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 41 17 28 — 86 Amortization of intangibles 4 — 44 — 48 Provision for losses on accounts receivable — 5 6 — 11 Deferred income taxes 42 (272 ) (15 ) — (245 ) Stock-based compensation 31 34 35 — 100 Loss on dispositions 3 — 6 — 9 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 1,587 — — 1,587 Other 18 39 14 — 71 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable (11 ) 47 (45 ) — (9 ) Prepaid and current assets (42 ) (17 ) 52 — (7 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (83 ) (47 ) — — (130 ) Unearned revenue 8 26 44 — 78 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (35 ) — — (35 ) Other current liabilities (51 ) 45 (10 ) — (16 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes 13 3 (109 ) — (93 ) Net change in other assets and liabilities (131 ) 5 71 — (55 ) Cash (used for) provided by operating activities from continuing operations (662 ) 918 758 195 1,209 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (26 ) (14 ) (52 ) — (92 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired — — (71 ) — (71 ) Proceeds from dispositions 63 — 20 — 83 Changes in short-term investments — — 15 — 15 Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations 37 (14 ) (88 ) — (65 ) Financing Activities: Dividends paid to shareholders (326 ) — — — (326 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (84 ) — (84 ) Contingent consideration payments — — (11 ) — (11 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (362 ) — — — (362 ) Exercise of stock options 184 — 9 — 193 Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 128 — — — 128 Intercompany financing activities 1,377 (904 ) (278 ) (195 ) — Cash provided by (used for) financing activities from continuing operations 1,001 (904 ) (364 ) (195 ) (462 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations 3 — (68 ) — (65 ) Cash provided by continuing operations 379 — 238 — 617 Discontinued Operations: Cash provided by operating activities 18 — — — 18 Cash provided by investing activities 320 — — — 320 Cash provided by discontinued operations 338 — — — 338 Net change in cash and cash equivalents 717 — 238 — 955 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 685 — 857 — 1,542 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 1,402 $ — $ 1,095 $ — $ 2,497

Schedule II - Valuation and Qua

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	Schedule II – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (in millions) Additions/(deductions) Balance at beginning of year Net charges to income Deductions and other 1 Balance at end of year Year ended December 31, 2016 Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 37 $ 8 $ (17 ) $ 28 Year ended December 31, 2015 Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 38 $ 12 $ (13 ) $ 37 Year ended December 31, 2014 Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 50 $ 2 $ (14 ) $ 38 1 Primarily includes uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries, impact of acquisitions and divestitures and adjustments for foreign currency translation.

Accounting Policies (Policies)

Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of operations	Nature of operations S&P Global Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company,” the “Registrant,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. The capital markets include asset managers, investment banks, commercial banks, insurance companies, exchanges, and issuers; and the commodity markets include producers, traders and intermediaries within energy, metals, petrochemicals and agriculture. Our operations consist of three reportable segments: Ratings, Market and Commodities Intelligence and S&P Dow Jones Indices ("Indices"). • Ratings is an independent provider of credit ratings, research and analytics, offering investors and other market participants information, ratings and benchmarks. • Market and Commodities Intelligence is a global provider of multi-asset-class data, research and analytical capabilities, which integrate cross-asset analytics and desktop services and deliver their customers in the commodity and energy markets access to high-value information, data, analytic services and pricing and quality benchmarks. As of September 7, 2016, we completed the sale of J.D. Power and the results are included in Market and Commodities Intelligence results through that date. • Indices is a global index provider that maintains a wide variety of valuation and index benchmarks for investment advisors, wealth managers and institutional investors.
Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations	Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale We classify a disposal group to be sold as held for sale in the period in which all of the following criteria are met: management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the disposal group; the disposal group is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such disposal group; an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan to sell the disposal group have been initiated; the sale of the disposal group is probable, and transfer of the disposal group is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year, except if events or circumstances beyond our control extend the period of time required to sell the disposal group beyond one year; the disposal group is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. An entity that is classified as held for sale is initially measured at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a disposal group until the date of sale. The fair value of a disposal group less any costs to sell is assessed each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and any subsequent changes are reported as an adjustment to the carrying value of the disposal group, as long as the new carrying value does not exceed the carrying value of the disposal group at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Upon determining that a disposal group meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale, the Company reports the assets and liabilities of the disposal group as held for sale in the current period in our consolidated balance sheets. Discontinued Operations Beginning on January 1, 2015, we adopted revised guidance for discontinued operations that raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation. In determining whether a disposal of a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity is required to be presented as a discontinued operation, we make a determination whether the disposal represents a strategic shift that had, or will have, a major effect on our operations and financial results. A component of an entity comprises o perations and cash flows that can be clearly distinguished both operationally and for financial reporting purposes. If we conclude that the disposal represents a strategic shift, then the results of operations of the group of assets being disposed of (as well as any gain or loss on the disposal transaction) are aggregated for separate presentation apart from our continuing operating results in the consolidated financial statements. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we applied the previous guidance for discontinued operations in determining whether a group of assets disposed or to be disposed of should be presented as a discontinued operation. We determined whether the group of assets being disposed of comprised a component of the entity. We also determined whether the cash flows associated with the group of assets had been or would have been eliminated from our ongoing operations as a result of the disposal transaction and whether we would have had significant continuing involvement in the operations of the group of assets after the disposal transaction. If we concluded that the cash flows had been eliminated and we had no significant continuing involvement, then the results of operations of the group of assets being disposed of (as well as any gain or loss on the disposal transaction) were aggregated for separate presentation apart from our continuing operating results in the consolidated financial statements.
Principles of consolidation	Principles of consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all subsidiaries and our share of earnings or losses of joint ventures and affiliated companies under the equity method of accounting. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Use of estimates	Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and cash equivalents	Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include ordinary bank deposits and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less that consist primarily of money market funds with unrestricted daily liquidity and fixed term time deposits. Such investments and bank deposits are stated at cost, which approximates market value, and were $2.4 billion and $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively. These investments are not subject to significant market risk.
Short-term investments	Short-term investments Short-term investments are securities with original maturities greater than 90 days that are available for use in our operations in the next twelve months. The short-term investments, primarily consisting of certificates of deposit and mutual funds, are classified as held-to-maturity and therefore are carried at cost. Interest and dividends are recorded into income when earned.
Accounts receivable	Accounts receivable Credit is extended to customers based upon an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition. Accounts receivable, which include billings consistent with terms of contractual arrangements, are recorded at net realizable value.
Allowance for doubtful accounts	Allowance for doubtful accounts The allowance for doubtful accounts reserve methodology is based on historical analysis, a review of outstanding balances and current conditions. In determining these reserves, we consider, amongst other factors, the financial condition and risk profile of our customers, areas of specific or concentrated risk as well as applicable industry trends or market indicators.
Deferred technology costs	Deferred technology costs We capitalize certain software development and website implementation costs. Capitalized costs only include incremental, direct costs of materials and services incurred to develop the software after the preliminary project stage is completed, funding has been committed and it is probable that the project will be completed and used to perform the function intended. Incremental costs are expenditures that are out-of-pocket to us and are not part of an allocation or existing expense base. Software development and website implementation costs are expensed as incurred during the preliminary project stage. Capitalized costs are amortized from the year the software is ready for its intended use over its estimated useful life, three to seven years, using the straight-line method. Periodically, we evaluate the amortization methods, remaining lives and recoverability of such costs. Capitalized software development and website implementation costs are included in other non-current assets and are presented net of accumulated amortization.
Fair Value	Fair Value Certain assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value and classified within a fair value hierarchy based on inputs used when measuring fair value. We have an immaterial amount of forward exchange contracts that are adjusted to fair value on a recurring basis. Other financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity and highly liquid nature of these instruments.
Accounting for the impairment of long-lived assets (including other intangible assets)	Accounting for the impairment of long-lived assets (including other intangible assets) We evaluate long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Upon such an occurrence, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to current forecasts of undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized equal to the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. For long-lived assets held for sale, assets are written down to fair value, less cost to sell. Fair value is determined based on market evidence, discounted cash flows, appraised values or management’s estimates, depending upon the nature of the assets. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $24 million related to a technology project at our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment in selling and general expenses in our consolidated statement of income. On July 31, 2014, we completed the sale of the Company's aircraft to Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company for a purchase price of $20 million . During the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $6 million in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income as a result of the pending sale. See Note 14 – Related Party Transactions for further discussion. On June 30, 2014, we completed the sale of our data center to Quality Technology Services, LLC (“QTS”) which owns, operates, and manages data centers. Net proceeds from the sale of $58 million were received in July of 2014. The sale includes all of the facilities and equipment on the south campus of our East Windsor, New Jersey location, inclusive of the rights and obligations associated with an adjoining solar power field. The sale resulted in an expense of $3 million recorded in (gain) loss on dispositions in our consolidated statement of income, which is in addition to the non-cash impairment charge of $36 million we recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013 to adjust the value of the facilities and associated infrastructure classified as held for sale to their fair value.
Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets	Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price and related costs over the value assigned to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but instead are tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter each year, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. We have four reporting units with goodwill that are evaluated for impairment. We initially perform a qualitative analysis evaluating whether any events and circumstances occurred or exist that provide evidence that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than its carrying amount. If, based on our evaluation we do not believe that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than its carrying amount, no quantitative impairment test is performed. Conversely, if the results of our qualitative assessment determine that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying amounts we perform a two-step quantitative impairment test. When conducting the first step of our two step impairment test to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill at the reporting unit level, the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its carrying value including goodwill. Fair value of the reporting units are estimated using the income approach, which incorporates the use of a discounted free cash flow (“DCF”) analyses and are corroborated using the market approach, which incorporates the use of revenue and earnings multiples based on market data. The DCF analyses are based on the current operating budgets and estimated long-term growth projections for each reporting unit. Future cash flows are discounted based on a market comparable weighted average cost of capital rate for each reporting unit, adjusted for market and other risks where appropriate. In addition, we analyze any difference between the sum of the fair values of the reporting units and our total market capitalization for reasonableness, taking into account certain factors including control premiums. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, a second step is performed which compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to the carrying value of the goodwill. The fair value of the goodwill is determined based on the difference between the fair value of the reporting unit and the net fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying value, the difference is recognized as an impairment charge. We evaluate the recoverability of indefinite-lived intangible assets by first performing a qualitative analysis evaluating whether any events and circumstances occurred that provide evidence that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. If, based on our evaluation of the events and circumstances that occurred during the year we do not believe that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired, no quantitative impairment test is performed. Conversely, if the results of our qualitative assessment determine that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired, a quantitative impairment test is performed. If necessary, the impairment test is performed by comparing the estimated fair value of the intangible asset to its carrying value. If the indefinite-lived intangible asset carrying value exceeds its fair value, an impairment analysis is performed using the income approach. The fair value of loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Significant judgments inherent in these analyses include estimating the amount and timing of future cash flows and the selection of appropriate discount rates, royalty rates and long-term growth rate assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value for each reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible asset and could result in an impairment charge, which could be material to our financial position and results of operations.
Foreign currency translation	Foreign currency translation We have operations in many foreign countries. For most international operations, the local currency is the functional currency. For international operations that are determined to be extensions of the parent company, the United States ("U.S.") dollar is the functional currency. For local currency operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using end of period exchange rates, and revenue and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars using weighted-average exchange rates. Foreign currency translation adjustments are accumulated in a separate component of equity.
Revenue recognition	Revenue recognition Revenue is recognized as it is earned when services are rendered. We consider amounts to be earned once evidence of an arrangement has been obtained, services are performed, fees are fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue relating to products that provide for more than one deliverable is recognized based upon the relative fair value to the customer of each deliverable as each deliverable is provided. Revenue relating to agreements that provide for more than one service is recognized based upon the relative fair value to the customer of each service component as each component is earned. If the fair value to the customer for each service is not objectively determinable, management makes its best estimate of the services’ stand-alone selling price and records revenue as it is earned over the service period. For arrangements that include multiple services, fair value of the service components are determined using an analysis that considers cash consideration that would be received for instances when the service components are sold separately. Advertising revenue is recognized when the page is run. Subscription income is recognized over the related subscription period.
Depreciation	Depreciation The costs of property and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method based upon the following estimated useful lives: buildings and improvements from 15 to 40 years and equipment and furniture from 2 to 10 years . The costs of leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the useful lives or the terms of the respective leases.
Advertising expense	Advertising expense The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred.
Stock-based compensation	Stock-based compensation Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized over the requisite service period, which typically is the vesting period. Stock-based compensation is classified as both operating-related expense and selling and general expense in the consolidated statements of income.
Income taxes	Income taxes Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns. Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in interest expense and operating expense, respectively. Judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and unrecognized tax benefits. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial performance of the operation that is recording a net deferred tax asset is considered along with any other pertinent information. We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various states, and foreign jurisdictions, and we are routinely under audit by many different tax authorities. We believe that our accrual for tax liabilities is adequate for all open audit years based on our assessment of many factors including past experience and interpretations of tax law. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and may involve a series of complex judgments about future events. It is possible that examinations will be settled prior to December 31, 2017. If any of these tax audit settlements do occur within that period we would make any necessary adjustments to the accrual for unrecognized tax benefits. Until formal resolutions are reached between us and the tax authorities, the determination of a possible audit settlement range with respect to the impact on unrecognized tax benefits is not practicable. On the basis of present information, our opinion is that any assessments resulting from the current audits will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest The agreement with the minority partners of our S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC joint venture established in June of 2012 contains redemption features whereby interests held by our minority partners are redeemable either (i) at the option of the holder or (ii) upon the occurrence of an event that is not solely within our control. Since redemption of the noncontrolling interest is outside of our control, this interest is presented on our consolidated balance sheets under the caption “Redeemable noncontrolling interest.” If the interest were to be redeemed, we would be required to purchase all of such interest at fair value on the date of redemption. We adjust the redeemable noncontrolling interest each reporting period to its estimated redemption value, but never less than its initial fair value, using a combination of an income and market valuation approach. Our income and market valuation approaches may incorporate Level 3 measures for instances when observable inputs are not available, including assumptions related to expected future net cash flows, long-term growth rates, the timing and nature of tax attributes, and the redemption features. Any adjustments to the redemption value will impact retained income.
Contingencies	Contingencies We accrue for loss contingencies when both (a) information available prior to issuance of the financial statements indicates that it is probable that a liability had been incurred at the date of the financial statements and (b) the amount of loss can reasonably be estimated. We continually assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes to our contingencies, as well as potential amounts or ranges of probable losses, and recognize a liability, if any, for these contingencies based on an analysis of each matter with the assistance of outside legal counsel and, if applicable, other experts. Because many of these matters are resolved over long periods of time, our estimate of liabilities may change due to new developments, changes in assumptions or changes in our strategy related to the matter. When we accrue for loss contingencies and the reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range, we record its best estimate within the range. We disclose an estimated possible loss or a range of loss when it is at least reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred.
Recent Accounting Standards	Recent Accounting Standards In August of 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance providing amendments to eight specific statement of cash flows classification issues. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early adoption is permitted. We do not expect this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to modify several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This guidance will require recognizing excess tax benefits and deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the statement of income, instead of in equity as under the current guidance. We reported excess tax benefits from share -based payments of $41 million , $69 million and $128 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In addition, these amounts will be classified as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows, instead of as a financing activity. Cash paid for shares withheld on the employees' behalf will be classified as a financing activity, instead of as an operating activity. Cash paid for employee taxes was $55 million , $92 million and $95 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The 2016, 2015 and 2014 amounts of excess tax benefits from share-based payments and cash paid for employee taxes are not necessarily indicative of future amounts that may arise from the implementation of the new accounting guidance. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 is required to be adopted as follows: 1) prospectively for the recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies in the tax provision, 2) retrospectively or prospectively for the classification of excess tax benefits and deficiencies in the statement of cash flows, and 3) retrospectively for the classification of cash paid for shares withheld to satisfy employee taxes in the statement of cash flows. In February of 2016, the FASB issued guidance that amends accounting for leases. Under the new guidance, a lessee will recognize assets and liabilities but will recognize expenses similar to current lease accounting. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018; however, early adoption is permitted. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach to each prior reporting period presented with various optional practical expedients. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements. In January of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We do not expect this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In November of 2015, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. The guidance requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016; however, early adoption is permitted. We early adopted this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2016, prospectively, and accordingly prior year amounts have not been reclassified. In September of 2015, the FASB issued guidance intended to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. The guidance eliminates the requirement to retrospectively account for those adjustments. The guidance was effective on January 1, 2016, and the adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February of 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires management to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In January of 2015, the FASB issued guidance that eliminates the concept of reporting extraordinary items, but retains current presentation and disclosure requirements for an event or transaction that is of an unusual nature or of a type that indicates infrequency of occurrence. Transactions that meet both criteria would now also follow such presentation and disclosure requirements. This guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In August of 2014, the FASB issued guidance that requires management to evaluate, at each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued and provide related disclosures. This guidance is effective for reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016; however, early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In May of 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) issued jointly a converged standard on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers which is intended to improve the financial reporting of revenue and comparability of the top line in financial statements globally. The core principle of the new standard is for the recognition of revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the payment to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard will also result in enhanced revenue disclosures, provide guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements. In August of 2015, the FASB issued guidance deferring the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. Subsequently, the FASB issued implementation guidance related to the new revenue standard, including the following: In March of 2016, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations; in April of 2016, the FASB clarified guidance on performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance; in May of 2016, the FASB issued a practical expedient in response to identified implementation issues. The new guidance will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. We are currently evaluating the application of a transition method and the impact that adoption of these updates will have on our consolidated financial statements. At this point, we believe the new standard will have an impact on: 1) the accounting for certain long-term deferred revenue in our Ratings segment which may contain a financing component, 2) the timing of revenue recognized in our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment for long term contracts with price escalations, and 3) the accounting for fees for historical data in our Market and Commodities Intelligence segment currently recognized over the term of a subscription. We do not expect these changes to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Reclassification	Reclassification Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for comparability purposes.

Acquisitions and Divestitures (

Acquisitions and Divestitures (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Schedule of Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation	The following table presents the final allocation of purchase price to the assets and liabilities of SNL as a result of the acquisition. (in millions) Current assets $ 29 Property, plant and equipment 19 Goodwill 1,574 Other intangible assets, net: Databases and software 421 Customer relationships 162 Tradenames 185 Other intangibles 4 Other intangible assets, net 772 Other non-current assets 1 Total assets acquired 2,395 Current liabilities (43 ) Unearned revenue (117 ) Other non-current liabilities (1 ) Total liabilities acquired (161 ) Net assets acquired $ 2,234
Supplemental Information on an Unaudited Pro Forma Basis	Supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma basis is presented below for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 as if the acquisition of SNL occurred on January 1, 2014. The pro forma financial information is presented for comparative purposes only, based on estimates and assumptions, which the Company believes to be reasonable but not necessarily indicative of the consolidated financial position or results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had this acquisition been completed at the beginning of 2015. The unaudited pro forma information includes intangible asset charges and incremental borrowing costs as a result of the acquisition, net of related tax, estimated using the Company's effective tax rate for continuing operations for the periods presented. (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Pro forma revenue $ 5,477 $ 5,275 Pro forma net income (loss) from continuing operations $ 1,258 $ (251 )
Schedule of Liabilities Assumed in Conjunction with Acquisition of Businesses	Liabilities assumed in conjunction with the acquisition of businesses are as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Fair value of assets acquired $ 253 $ 2,576 $ 67 Cash paid (net of cash acquired) 211 2,401 52 Liabilities assumed $ 42 $ 175 $ 15
Key Components of Disposal Groups	The key components of income from discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 consist of the following: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2014 Revenue $ 139 Expenses 110 Operating income 29 Provision for taxes on income 11 Income from discontinued operations, net of tax 18 Pre-tax gain on sale from discontinued operations 289 Provision for taxes on gain on sale 129 Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax 160 Income from discontinued operations attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders $ 178 The components of assets and liabilities held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet consist of the following: (in millions) December 31, December 31, 2016 1 2015 2 Accounts receivable, net $ 4 $ 58 Goodwill — 75 Other intangible assets, net — 335 Other assets 3 35 Assets of a business held for sale $ 7 $ 503 Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 3 $ 42 Unearned revenue 7 64 Other liabilities 35 100 Liabilities of a business held for sale $ 45 $ 206 1 Assets and liabilities held for sale as of December 31, 2016 relate to QuantHouse. 2 Assets and liabilities held for sale as of December 31, 2015 relate to J.D. Power. The operating profit of our businesses that were disposed of or held for sale for the years ending December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Operating profit 1 $ 62 $ 85 $ 71 1 The year ended December 31, 2016 excludes a pre-tax gain of $1.1 billion on our dispositions.

Goodwill and Other Intangible28

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Change in Carrying Amount of Goodwill	The change in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment is shown below: (in millions) Ratings Market and Commodities Intelligence Indices Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 122 $ 889 $ 376 $ 1,387 Acquisitions — 1,602 — 1,602 Reclassifications 1 — (75 ) — (75 ) Other (primarily Fx) (8 ) (24 ) — (32 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 114 2,392 376 2,882 Acquisitions — 106 7 113 Dispositions — (35 ) — (35 ) Other (primarily Fx) (5 ) (6 ) — (11 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 109 $ 2,457 $ 383 $ 2,949 1 Relates to J.D. Power, which is classified as assets held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015.
Other Intangible Assets	The following table summarizes our definite-lived intangible assets: (in millions) Cost Databases and software Content Customer relationships Tradenames Other intangibles Total Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 113 $ 139 $ 228 $ 46 $ 111 $ 637 Acquisitions 421 — — — 177 598 Reclassifications 1 (19 ) — (62 ) (2 ) (8 ) (91 ) Other (primarily Fx) (5 ) — 2 3 (11 ) (11 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 510 139 168 47 269 1,133 Acquisitions — — — — 98 98 Dispositions — — — (2 ) (8 ) (10 ) Impairment 2 (2 ) — — — (22 ) (24 ) Reclassifications — — 165 1 (166 ) — Other (primarily Fx) (2 ) — (3 ) (1 ) (8 ) (14 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 506 $ 139 $ 330 $ 45 $ 163 $ 1,183 Accumulated amortization Balance as of December 31, 2014 $ 88 $ 59 $ 80 $ 35 $ 64 $ 326 Current year amortization 20 14 9 2 22 67 Reclassifications 1 (18 ) — (30 ) (2 ) (14 ) (64 ) Other (primarily Fx) (2 ) — 1 1 (5 ) (5 ) Balance as of December 31, 2015 88 73 60 36 67 324 Current year amortization 47 14 21 2 12 96 Dispositions — — — (1 ) (6 ) (7 ) Impairment 2 (2 ) — — — (10 ) (12 ) Reclassifications 2 — 5 — (7 ) — Other (primarily Fx) (3 ) — (2 ) (1 ) (4 ) (10 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 132 $ 87 $ 84 $ 36 $ 52 $ 391 Net definite-lived intangibles: December 31, 2015 $ 422 $ 66 $ 108 $ 11 $ 202 $ 809 December 31, 2016 $ 374 $ 52 $ 246 $ 9 $ 111 $ 792 1 Relates to J.D. Power, which is classified as assets held for sale in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. 2 Relates to a technology-related impairment charge at Market and Commodities Intelligence and recorded in selling and general expenses in our consolidated statement of income.
Projected Amortization Expense for Intangible Assets	Expected amortization expense for intangible assets over the next five years for the years ended December 31, assuming no further acquisitions or dispositions, is as follows: (in millions) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Amortization expense $ 88 $ 84 $ 79 $ 73 $ 62

Taxes on Income (Tables)

Taxes on Income (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Before Taxes from Domestic and Foreign Operations	Income before taxes on income resulted from domestic and foreign operations is as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Domestic operations $ 2,585 $ 1,266 $ (423 ) Foreign operations 603 549 477 Total continuing income before taxes $ 3,188 $ 1,815 $ 54
Provision for Taxes on Income	The provision for taxes on income consists of the following: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Federal: Current $ 641 $ 90 $ 285 Deferred 79 276 (213 ) Total federal 720 366 72 Foreign: Current 133 111 135 Deferred (4 ) (1 ) 1 Total foreign 129 110 136 State and local: Current 99 34 62 Deferred 12 37 (25 ) Total state and local 111 71 37 Total provision for taxes for continuing operations 960 547 245 Provision for discontinued operations — — 140 Total provision for taxes $ 960 $ 547 $ 385
Reconciliation of Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate to Effective Income Tax Rate	A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to our effective income tax rate for financial reporting purposes is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 U.S. federal statutory income tax rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % Legal and regulatory settlements — — 524.1 State and local income taxes 2.7 2.6 64.2 Divestitures (4.3 ) — — Foreign operations (2.0 ) (3.2 ) (79.6 ) S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC joint venture (1.2 ) (2.0 ) (60.2 ) Tax credits and incentives (1.6 ) (2.9 ) (91.5 ) Other, net 1.5 0.6 61.7 Effective income tax rate for continuing operations 30.1 % 30.1 % 453.7 %
Differences Between the Accounting for Income and Expenses for Financial Reporting and Income Tax	The principal temporary differences between the accounting for income and expenses for financial reporting and income tax purposes are as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 Deferred tax assets: Legal and regulatory settlements $ 23 $ 45 Employee compensation 78 91 Accrued expenses 87 72 Postretirement benefits 105 126 Unearned revenue 33 39 Allowance for doubtful accounts 11 12 Loss carryforwards 112 114 Other 3 18 Total deferred tax assets 452 517 Deferred tax liabilities: Goodwill and intangible assets (320 ) (299 ) Fixed assets (3 ) (9 ) Other — — Total deferred tax liabilities (323 ) (308 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) before valuation allowance 129 209 Valuation allowance (116 ) (98 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) $ 13 $ 111 Reported as: Current deferred tax assets $ — $ 109 Current deferred tax liabilities — (8 ) Non-current deferred tax assets 61 33 Non-current deferred tax liabilities (48 ) (23 ) Net deferred income tax asset (liability) $ 13 $ 111
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Amount of Unrecognized Tax Benefits	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Balance at beginning of year $ 120 $ 118 $ 82 Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 35 22 30 Additions for tax positions of prior years 14 12 33 Reduction for tax positions of prior years (3 ) (14 ) (11 ) Reduction for settlements (5 ) (18 ) (16 ) Balance at end of year $ 161 $ 120 $ 118

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Short-term and Long-term Debt Outstanding	A summary of short-term and long-term debt outstanding is as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 5.9% Senior Notes, due 2017 1 $ — $ 399 2.5% Senior Notes, due 2018 2 398 398 3.3% Senior Notes, due 2020 3 696 695 4.0% Senior Notes, due 2025 4 691 690 4.4% Senior Notes, due 2026 5 891 890 2.95% Senior Notes, due 2027 6 492 — 6.55% Senior Notes, due 2037 7 396 396 Commercial paper — 143 Total debt 3,564 3,611 Less: short-term debt including current maturities — 143 Long-term debt $ 3,564 $ 3,468 1 We made a $400 million early repayment of our 5.9% senior notes on October 20, 2016. 2 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 15 and August 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $2 million . 3 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 14 and August 14, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $4 million . 4 Interest payments are due semiannually on June 15 and December 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $9 million . 5 Interest payments are due semiannually on February 15 and August 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $9 million . 6 Interest payments are due semiannually on January 22 and July 22, beginning on January 22, 2017, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $8 million . 7 Interest payments are due semiannually on May 15 and November 15, and as of December 31, 2016 , the unamortized debt discount and issuance costs total $4 million .

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

Derivative Instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of location and fair value amounts of cash flow hedges	The following table provides information on the location and fair value amounts of our cash flow hedges as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 : (in millions) Balance Sheet Location December 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Prepaid and other current assets 1 Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3 $ 1 1 We use the income approach to measure the fair value of our forward currency forward contracts. The income approach uses pricing models that rely on observable inputs such as forward rates, and therefore are classified as Level 2.
Schedule of pre-tax gains (losses) on cash flow hedges	The following table provides information on the location and amounts of pre-tax gains (losses) on our cash flow hedges for the years ended December 31 : (in millions) Gain (Loss) Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (effective portion) Location of Gain Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Income (effective portion) Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Income (effective portion) Cash flow hedges - designated as hedging instruments 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3 $ — $ 2 Selling and general expenses $ 4 $ — $ —
Schedule of cash flow hedges included in AOCI	The activity related to the change in unrealized gains (losses) in accumulated other comprehensive loss was as follows for the years ended December 31 : (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Net unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of taxes, beginning of year $ (1 ) $ (1 ) $ (3 ) Change in fair value, net of tax 7 — 2 Reclassification into earnings, net of tax (4 ) — — Net unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of taxes, end of year $ 2 $ (1 ) $ (1 )

Employee Benefits (Tables)

Employee Benefits (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of the Benefit Obligation and the Fair Value of Plan Assets, as well as the Funded Status	A summary of the benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets, as well as the funded status for the retirement and postretirement plans as of December 31, is as follows (benefits paid in the table below include only those amounts contributed directly to or paid directly from plan assets): (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 2,199 $ 2,462 $ 80 $ 96 Service cost 3 6 — — Interest cost 78 96 2 3 Plan participants’ contributions — — 4 4 Actuarial loss (gain) 196 (189 ) (6 ) (12 ) Gross benefits paid (121 ) (150 ) (10 ) (12 ) Foreign currency effect (75 ) (26 ) — — Other adjustments (20 ) — (13 ) 1 Net benefit obligation at end of year 2,260 2,199 57 80 Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year 2,023 2,236 — — Actual return on plan assets 259 (57 ) — — Employer contributions 8 15 6 8 Plan participants’ contributions — — 4 4 Gross benefits paid (121 ) (150 ) (10 ) (12 ) Foreign currency effect (74 ) (21 ) — — Other adjustments (22 ) — — — Fair value of plan assets at end of year 2,073 2,023 — — Funded status $ (187 ) $ (176 ) $ (57 ) $ (80 ) Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets: Non-current assets $ 46 $ 36 $ — $ — Current liabilities (8 ) (8 ) (8 ) (8 ) Non-current liabilities (225 ) (204 ) (49 ) (72 ) $ (187 ) $ (176 ) $ (57 ) $ (80 ) Accumulated benefit obligation $ 2,251 $ 2,190 Plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of the fair value of plan assets: Projected benefit obligation $ 674 $ 1,810 Accumulated benefit obligation $ 665 $ 1,801 Fair value of plan assets $ 441 $ 1,598 Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax: Net actuarial loss (gain) $ 483 $ 433 $ (35 ) $ (24 ) Prior service credit 1 1 (13 ) (5 ) Total recognized $ 484 $ 434 $ (48 ) $ (29 )
Summary of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	A summary of net periodic benefit cost for our retirement and postretirement plans for the years ended December 31, is as follows: (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Service cost $ 3 $ 6 $ 5 $ — $ — $ 1 Interest cost 78 96 99 2 3 4 Expected return on assets (122 ) (127 ) (138 ) — Amortization of: Actuarial loss (gain) 16 20 11 (1 ) — (1 ) Prior service (credit) cost — — — — (1 ) — Curtailment 1 — — — — — (1 ) Net periodic benefit cost $ (25 ) $ (5 ) $ (23 ) $ 1 $ 2 $ 3 1 The curtailment gain for our postretirement plans in 2014 is a result of plan changes effective October 31, 2014 eliminating retiree medical and life insurance benefits for active employees not retiring by July 1, 2016.
Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax	Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax for the years ended December 31, are as follows: (in millions) Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Net actuarial loss (gain) $ 60 $ (6 ) $ 232 $ (12 ) $ (17 ) $ 3 Recognized actuarial (gain) loss (10 ) (13 ) (7 ) 1 — 1 Prior service cost (credit) — — — (8 ) 1 (5 ) Total recognized $ 50 $ (19 ) $ 225 $ (19 ) $ (16 ) $ (1 )
Schedule of Assumptions Used	Retirement Plans Postretirement Plans 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Benefit obligation: Discount rate 2 4.14 % 4.47 % 4.15 % 3.69 % 3.90 % 3.60 % Net periodic cost: Weighted-average healthcare cost rate 1 7.0 % 7.0 % 7.0 % Discount rate - U.S. plan 2 4.47 % 4.15 % 5.0 % 3.94 % 3.60 % 4.125 % Discount rate - U.K. plan 2 3.84 % 3.8 % 4.5 % Return on assets 3 6.25 % 6.25 % 7.125 % 1 The assumed weighted-average healthcare cost trend rate will decrease ratably from 7% in 2016 to 5% in 2024 and remain at that level thereafter. Assumed healthcare cost trends have an effect on the amounts reported for the healthcare plans. A one percentage point change in assumed healthcare cost trend creates the following effects: (in millions) 1% point increase 1% point decrease Effect on postretirement obligation $ 1 $ (1 ) 2 Effective January 1, 2016, we changed our discount rate assumption on our U.S. retirement plans to 4.47% from 4.15% in 2015 and changed our discount rate assumption on our U.K. plan to 3.84% from 3.8% in 2015. At the end of 2015, we changed our approach used to measure service and interest costs on all of our retirement plans. For 2015 and prior periods presented, we measured service and interest costs utilizing a single weighted-average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the benefit obligation. For 2016, we elected to measure service and interest costs by applying the specific spot rates along that yield curve to the plans' liability cash flows. We believe this new approach provides a more precise measurement of service and interest costs by aligning the timing of the plans' liability cash flows to the corresponding spot rates on the yield curve. This change does not affect the measurement of our benefit obligation. We have accounted for this change as a change in accounting estimate that is inseparable from a change in accounting principle and, accordingly, have accounted for it on a prospective basis. Pension and postretirement medical costs decreased by approximately $14 million in 2016 as a result of this change. 3 The expected return on assets assumption is calculated based on the plan’s asset allocation strategy and projected market returns over the long-term. Effective January 1, 2017 , our return on assets assumption for the U.S. plan and U.K. plan remained unchanged at 6.25% .
Effects Created by One Percentage Point Change in Assumed Healthcare Cost Trend	A one percentage point change in assumed healthcare cost trend creates the following effects: (in millions) 1% point increase 1% point decrease Effect on postretirement obligation $ 1 $ (1 )
Information About the Expected Cash Flows for Retirement and Post-Retirement Plans and Impact of the Medicare Subsidy	Information about the expected cash flows for our retirement and postretirement plans and the impact of the Medicare subsidy is as follows: (in millions) Postretirement Plans 2 Retirement 1 Plans Gross payments Retiree contributions Medicare subsidy 3 Net payments 2017 $ 88 $ 12 $ (4 ) $ — $ 8 2018 90 11 (4 ) — 7 2019 93 10 (3 ) — 7 2020 96 9 (3 ) — 6 2021 98 8 (3 ) — 5 2022-2026 527 30 (12 ) — 18 1 Reflects the total benefits expected to be paid from the plans or from our assets including both our share of the benefit cost and the participants’ share of the cost. 2 Reflects the total benefits expected to be paid from our assets. 3 Expected medicare subsidy amounts, for the years presented, are less than $1 million .
Fair Value of Defined Benefit Plan Assets by Asset Class	The fair value of our defined benefit plans assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , by asset class is as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Cash and short-term investments $ 38 $ 38 $ — $ — Equities: U.S. indexes 1 69 69 — — U.S. growth and value 103 103 — — U.K. 3 3 — — International, excluding U.K. 38 38 — — Fixed income: Long duration strategy 2 970 — 970 — Intermediate duration securities 32 — 32 — Agency mortgage backed securities 5 — 5 — Asset backed securities 19 — 19 — Non-agency mortgage backed securities 3 20 — 20 — International 16 — 16 — Real Estate U.K. 4 11 — — 11 Other — — — — Total $ 1,324 $ 251 $ 1,062 $ 11 Collective investment funds 749 Total $ 2,073 (in millions) December 31, 2015 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Cash, short-term investments, and other $ 1 $ 1 $ — $ — Equities: U.S. indexes 1 63 63 — — U.S. growth and value 92 92 — — U.K. 6 6 — — International, excluding U.K. 35 35 — — Fixed income: Long duration strategy 2 969 — 969 — Intermediate duration securities 31 — 31 — Agency mortgage backed securities 6 — 6 — Asset backed securities 17 — 17 — Non-agency mortgage backed securities 3 23 — 23 — International 17 — 17 — Other — — — — Total $ 1,260 $ 197 $ 1,063 $ — Collective investment funds 763 Total $ 2,023 1 Includes securities that are tracked in the S&P Smallcap 600 index. 2 Includes securities that are mainly investment grade obligations of issuers in the U.S. 3 Includes U.S. mortgage-backed securities that are not backed by the U.S. government. 4 Includes a fund which holds real estate properties in the U.K.
Schedule of Effect of Significant Unobservable Inputs, Changes in Plan Assets	The trustee obtains estimated prices from vendors for securities that are not easily quotable and they are categorized accordingly as Level 3. The following table details further information on our plan assets where we have used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3): (in millions) Level 3 Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ — Purchases 11 Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 11

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Number of Common Shares Reserved for Issuance	The number of common shares reserved for issuance are as follows: (in millions) December 31, 2016 2015 Shares available for granting under the 2002 Plan 33.5 32.8 Options outstanding 3.8 5.8 Total shares reserved for issuance 1 37.3 38.6 1 Shares reserved for issuance under the Director Deferred Stock Ownership Plan are not included in the total, but are approximately 0.1 million .
Stock-based Compensation Expense	Stock-based compensation expense and the corresponding tax benefit are as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Stock option expense $ 7 $ 14 $ 21 Restricted stock and unit awards expense 69 64 79 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 76 $ 78 $ 100 Tax benefit $ 29 $ 29 $ 38
Assumptions Used in Valuing the Options Granted	The following assumptions were used in valuing the options granted: Year Ended December 31, 2015 2014 Risk-free average interest rate 0.2 - 1.9% 0.1 - 2.9% Dividend yield 1.4% 1.4 - 1.8% Volatility 21 - 39% 18 - 41% Expected life (years) 6.3 6.21 - 6.25 Weighted-average grant-date fair value per option $ 27.57 $ 23.41
Stock Option Activity	Stock option activity is as follows: (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted average exercise price Weighted-average remaining years of contractual term Aggregate intrinsic value Options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 5.8 $ 45.61 Exercised (1.9 ) $ 95.87 Canceled, forfeited and expired (0.1 ) $ 69.93 Options outstanding as of December 31, 2016 3.8 $ 43.36 3.6 $ 246 Options exercisable as of December 31, 2016 3.7 $ 41.87 3.5 $ 242 (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted-average grant-date fair value Nonvested options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 0.8 $ 19.82 Vested (0.5 ) $ 19.35 Forfeited (0.1 ) $ 21.84 Nonvested options outstanding as of December 31, 2016 0.2 $ 23.42 Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options 1 $ — Weighted-average years to be recognized over 0.3 1 There is less than $1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options.
Stock Option Exercises	Information regarding our stock option exercises is as follows: (in millions) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Net cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options $ 88 $ 86 $ 193 Total intrinsic value of stock option exercises $ 95 $ 94 $ 168 Income tax benefit realized from stock option exercises $ 41 $ 49 $ 73
Restricted Stock and Unit Activity	Restricted stock and unit activity for performance and non-performance awards is as follows: (in millions, except per award amounts) Shares Weighted-average grant-date fair value Nonvested shares as of December 31, 2015 1.2 $ 92.39 Granted 0.9 $ 93.01 Vested (0.9 ) $ 106.81 Forfeited (0.2 ) $ 95.41 Nonvested shares as of December 31, 2016 1.0 $ 106.31 Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested awards $ 55 Weighted-average years to be recognized over 1.7 Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Weighted-average grant-date fair value per award $ 93.01 $ 77.06 $ 77.74 Total fair value of restricted stock and unit awards vested $ 99 $ 155 $ 88 Tax benefit relating to restricted stock activity $ 26 $ 24 $ 30

Equity (Tables)

Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Equity [Abstract]
Dividend History	Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Quarterly dividend rate $ 0.36 $ 0.33 $ 0.30 Annualized dividend rate $ 1.44 $ 1.32 $ 1.20 Dividends paid (in millions) $ 380 $ 363 $ 326
Share Repurchases	Share repurchases were as follows: (in millions, except average price) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Total number of shares purchased 1 9.7 10.1 4.4 Average price paid per share 2, 3 $ 113.36 $ 99.00 $ 79.06 Total cash utilized 2 $ 1,097 $ 1,000 $ 352 1 2016 includes shares received as part of our accelerated share repurchase agreement as described in more detail below. 2 In December of 2015, 0.3 million shares were repurchased for approximately $26 million , which settled in January of 2016. Excluding these 0.3 million shares, the average price paid per share was $98.98 . In December of 2013, 0.1 million shares were repurchased for approximately $10 million , which settled in January of 2014. Cash used for financing activities only reflects those shares which settled during the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 resulting in $1,123 million , $974 million and $362 million of cash used to repurchase shares, respectively. 3 On June 25, 2014, we repurchased 0.5 million shares of the Company's common stock from the personal holdings of Harold W. McGraw III, then Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors and former President and CEO of the Company, at a discount of 0.35% from the June 24, 2014 New York Stock Exchange closing price. We repurchased these shares with cash for $41 million at an average price of $82.66 per share. See Note 14 — Related Party Transactions for further information.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Rollforward	Ch anges to redeemable noncontrolling interest during the year ended December 31, 2016 were as follows: (in millions) Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ 920 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 109 Distributions to noncontrolling interest (102 ) Redemption value adjustment 153 Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ 1,080
Schedule of Changes in the Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The following table summarizes the changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 : (in millions) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Forward Exchange Contracts Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Balance as of December 31, 2015 $ (193 ) $ (406 ) $ (1 ) $ (600 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (139 ) (47 ) 7 (179 ) Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings — 10 1 (4 ) 2 6 Net other comprehensive income (139 ) (37 ) 3 (173 ) Balance as of December 31, 2016 $ (332 ) $ (443 ) $ 2 $ (773 ) 1 See Note 7 — Employee Benefits for additional details of items reclassed from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings. 2 See Note 6 — Derivative Instruments for additional details of items reclassed from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings.

Earnings (Loss) per Share (Tabl

Earnings (Loss) per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Calculation for Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share	The calculation for basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share is as follows: (in millions, except per share data) Year Ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Amount attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 2,106 $ 1,156 $ (293 ) Income from discontinued operations — — 178 Net income (loss) attributable to the Company $ 2,106 $ 1,156 $ (115 ) Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 262.8 271.6 271.5 Effect of stock options and other dilutive securities 2.4 3.0 — Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 265.2 274.6 271.5 Income (loss) from continuing operations: Basic $ 8.02 $ 4.26 $ (1.08 ) Diluted $ 7.94 $ 4.21 $ (1.08 ) Income from discontinued operations: Basic $ — $ — $ 0.66 Diluted $ — $ — $ 0.66 Net income (loss): Basic $ 8.02 $ 4.26 $ (0.42 ) Diluted $ 7.94 $ 4.21 $ (0.42 )

Restructuring (Tables)

Restructuring (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of Initial Restructuring Charge Recorded and the Ending Reserve Balance	The initial restructuring charge recorded and the ending reserve balance as of December 31, 2016 by segment is as follows: 2016 Restructuring Plan 2015 Restructuring Plan (in millions) Initial Charge Recorded Ending Reserve Balance Initial Charge Recorded Ending Reserve Balance Ratings $ 14 $ 10 $ 18 2 Market and Commodities Intelligence 10 8 34 4 Indices 1 1 — — Corporate 5 4 11 4 Total $ 30 $ 23 $ 63 $ 10

Segment and Geographic Inform37

Segment and Geographic Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment information for the years ended December 31 is as follows: (in millions) Revenue Operating Profit (Loss) 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Ratings 1 $ 2,535 $ 2,428 $ 2,455 $ 1,262 $ 1,078 $ (583 ) Market and Commodities Intelligence 2 2,585 2,376 2,130 1,822 585 518 Indices 3 639 597 552 412 392 347 Intersegment elimination 4 (98 ) (88 ) (86 ) — — — Total operating segments 5,661 5,313 5,051 3,496 2,055 282 Unallocated expense 5 — — — (127 ) (138 ) (169 ) Total $ 5,661 $ 5,313 $ 5,051 $ 3,369 $ 1,917 $ 113 1 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily includes a benefit related to net legal settlement insurance recoveries of $10 million and restructuring charges of $6 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2015 includes net legal settlement expenses of $54 million and restructuring charges of $13 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes legal and regulatory settlements of $1.6 billion and restructuring charges of $45 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. 2 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 includes a $1.1 billion gain from our dispositions, disposition-related costs of $48 million , a technology-related impairment charge of $24 million and an acquisition-related cost of $1 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2015 includes acquisition-related costs related to the acquisition of SNL of $37 million and costs identified operating efficiencies primarily related to restructuring of $33 million . Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes restructuring charges of $25 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $85 million , $57 million and $37 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. 3 Operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes the impact of professional fees largely related to corporate development activities of $4 million . Additionally, operating profit includes amortization of intangibles from acquisitions of $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. 4 Revenue for Ratings and expenses for Market and Commodities Intelligence include an intersegment royalty charged to Market and Commodities Intelligence for the rights to use and distribute content and data developed by Ratings. 5 The year ended December 31, 2016 includes $3 million from a disposition-related reserve release. The year ended December 31, 2015 includes a gain of $11 million related to the sale of our interest in a legacy McGraw Hill Construction investment and costs related to identified operating efficiencies primarily related to restructuring of $10 million . The year ended December 31, 2014 includes restructuring charges of $16 million . (in millions) Depreciation & Amortization Capital Expenditures 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Ratings $ 34 $ 43 $ 43 $ 42 $ 48 $ 33 Market and Commodities Intelligence 131 99 74 57 78 49 Indices 8 8 7 3 4 2 Total operating segments 173 150 124 102 130 84 Corporate 8 7 10 13 9 8 Total $ 181 $ 157 $ 134 $ 115 $ 139 $ 92 Segment information as of December 31 is as follows: (in millions) Total Assets 2016 2015 Ratings $ 612 $ 620 Market and Commodities Intelligence 4,104 4,011 Indices 1,247 1,181 Total operating segments 5,963 5,812 Corporate 1 2,699 1,868 Assets of a business held for sale 2 7 503 Total $ 8,669 $ 8,183 1 Corporate assets consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, assets for pension benefits, deferred income taxes and leasehold improvements related to subleased areas. 2 Includes QuantHouse and J.D. Power as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Schedule of Revenue and Long-lived Assets by Geographic Region	The following provides revenue and long-lived assets by geographic region: (in millions) Revenue Long-lived Assets Year ended December 31, December 31, 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 U.S. $ 3,461 $ 3,202 $ 2,911 $ 4,335 $ 4,198 European region 1,330 1,265 1,316 341 419 Asia 575 566 528 58 63 Rest of the world 295 280 296 46 50 Total $ 5,661 $ 5,313 $ 5,051 $ 4,780 $ 4,730 Revenue Long-lived Assets Year ended December 31, December 31, 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 U.S. 61 % 60 % 58 % 91 % 89 % European region 24 24 26 7 9 Asia 10 11 10 1 1 Rest of the world 5 5 6 1 1 Total 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Rental Expense for Property and Equipment Under Operating Lease Agreements	Rental expense for property and equipment under all operating lease agreements is as follows: (in millions) Year ended December 31, 2016 2015 2014 Gross rental expense $ 179 $ 182 $ 199 Less: sublease revenue (16 ) (14 ) (16 ) Less: Rock-McGraw rent credit — (4 ) (23 ) Net rental expense $ 163 $ 164 $ 160
Future Minimum Rental Commitments	Cash amounts for future minimum rental commitments under existing non-cancelable leases with a remaining term of more than one year, along with minimum sublease rental income to be received under non-cancelable subleases are shown in the following table. (in millions) Rent commitment Sublease income Net rent 2017 $ 116 $ (17 ) $ 99 2018 110 (17 ) 93 2019 100 (17 ) 83 2020 73 (3 ) 70 2021 63 — 63 2022 and beyond 540 — 540 Total $ 1,002 $ (54 ) $ 948

Quarterly Financial Informati39

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)	(in millions, except per share data) First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Total year 2016 (1) Revenue $ 1,341 $ 1,482 $ 1,439 $ 1,399 $ 5,661 Operating profit $ 512 $ 651 $ 1,348 $ 857 $ 3,369 Net income $ 323 $ 412 $ 923 $ 569 $ 2,228 Net income attributable to S&P Global common shareholders $ 294 $ 383 $ 892 $ 537 $ 2,106 Earnings per share attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Net income: Basic $ 1.11 $ 1.45 $ 3.39 $ 2.07 $ 8.02 Diluted $ 1.10 $ 1.44 $ 3.36 $ 2.05 $ 7.94 2015 Revenue $ 1,273 $ 1,342 $ 1,324 $ 1,374 $ 5,313 Operating profit $ 501 $ 582 $ 410 $ 424 $ 1,917 Net income $ 329 $ 381 $ 281 $ 276 $ 1,268 Net income attributable to S&P Global common shareholders $ 303 $ 353 $ 252 $ 248 $ 1,156 Earnings per share attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders: Net income: Basic $ 1.11 $ 1.29 $ 0.93 $ 0.92 $ 4.26 Diluted $ 1.10 $ 1.28 $ 0.92 $ 0.91 $ 4.21 Note - Totals presented may not sum due to rounding. 1 The third quarter of 2016 and the fourth of 2016 include a pre-tax gain on our dispositions of $722 million ( $521 million after-tax) and $379 million ( $297 million after-tax), respectively. See Note 2 – Acquisitions and Divestitures for further information.

Condensed Consolidating Finan40

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]
Statement of Income	Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 667 $ 1,513 $ 3,607 $ (126 ) $ 5,661 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 109 451 1,335 (126 ) 1,769 Selling and general expenses 113 243 1,087 — 1,443 Depreciation 38 9 38 — 85 Amortization of intangibles — — 96 — 96 Total expenses 260 703 2,556 (126 ) 3,393 Gain on dispositions (1,072 ) — (29 ) — (1,101 ) Operating profit 1,479 810 1,080 — 3,369 Interest expense (income), net 191 — (10 ) — 181 Non-operating intercompany transactions 356 (83 ) (941 ) 668 — Income before taxes on income 932 893 2,031 (668 ) 3,188 Provision for taxes on income 275 420 265 — 960 Equity in net income of subsidiaries 2,412 294 — (2,706 ) — Net income 3,069 767 1,766 (3,374 ) 2,228 Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (122 ) (122 ) Net income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ 3,069 $ 767 $ 1,766 $ (3,496 ) $ 2,106 Comprehensive income $ 3,099 $ 767 $ 1,563 $ (3,374 ) $ 2,055 Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 624 $ 2,141 $ 2,663 $ (115 ) $ 5,313 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 119 737 959 (115 ) 1,700 Selling and general expenses 202 254 1,094 — 1,550 Depreciation 40 18 32 — 90 Amortization of intangibles — — 67 — 67 Total expenses 361 1,009 2,152 (115 ) 3,407 Gain on dispositions — — (11 ) — (11 ) Operating profit 263 1,132 522 — 1,917 Interest expense (income), net 112 — (10 ) — 102 Non-operating intercompany transactions 282 222 (504 ) — — (Loss) income before taxes on income (131 ) 910 1,036 — 1,815 (Benefit) provision for taxes on income (107 ) 358 296 — 547 Equity in net income of subsidiaries 1,473 272 — (1,745 ) — Net income 1,449 824 740 (1,745 ) 1,268 Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (112 ) (112 ) Net income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ 1,449 $ 824 $ 740 $ (1,857 ) $ 1,156 Comprehensive income $ 1,446 $ 822 $ 655 $ (1,741 ) $ 1,182 Statement of Income Year Ended December 31, 2014 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Revenue $ 598 $ 2,043 $ 2,525 $ (115 ) $ 5,051 Expenses: Operating-related expenses 117 764 885 (115 ) 1,651 Selling and general expenses 257 1,975 912 — 3,144 Depreciation 41 17 28 — 86 Amortization of intangibles 4 — 44 — 48 Total expenses 419 2,756 1,869 (115 ) 4,929 Loss on dispositions 3 — 6 — 9 Operating profit (loss) 176 (713 ) 650 — 113 Interest expense (income), net 66 — (7 ) — 59 Non-operating intercompany transactions 193 38 (231 ) — — (Loss) income from continuing operations before taxes on income (83 ) (751 ) 888 — 54 (Benefit) provision for taxes on income (22 ) 16 251 — 245 Equity in net (loss) income of subsidiaries (443 ) 248 — 195 — (Loss) income from continuing operations (504 ) (519 ) 637 195 (191 ) Discontinued operations, net of tax: Income from discontinued operations 18 — — — 18 Gain on sale of discontinued operations 160 — — — 160 Discontinued operations, net 178 — — — 178 Net (loss) income $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 195 $ (13 ) Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests — — — (102 ) (102 ) Net (loss) income attributable to S&P Global Inc. $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 93 $ (115 ) Comprehensive income $ (495 ) $ (544 ) $ 513 $ 195 $ (331 )
Balance Sheet	Balance Sheet December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 711 $ — $ 1,681 $ — $ 2,392 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 138 131 853 1,122 Intercompany receivable (165 ) 837 870 (1,542 ) — Prepaid and other current assets 77 2 72 (1 ) 150 Assets of a business held for sale — — 7 — 7 Total current assets 761 970 3,483 (1,543 ) 3,671 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 159 1 111 271 Goodwill 261 — 2,679 9 2,949 Other intangible assets, net — — 1,506 — 1,506 Investments in subsidiaries 5,464 680 7,826 (13,970 ) — Intercompany loans receivable 17 — 1,354 (1,371 ) — Other non-current assets 134 24 114 — 272 Total assets $ 6,796 $ 1,675 $ 17,073 $ (16,875 ) $ 8,669 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 73 $ 22 $ 88 $ — $ 183 Intercompany payable 1,324 40 177 (1,541 ) — Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans 129 69 211 — 409 Income taxes currently payable 43 — 52 — 95 Unearned revenue 273 191 1,045 — 1,509 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements 2 3 51 56 Other current liabilities 163 (54 ) 205 — 314 Liabilities of a business held for sale — — 45 — 45 Total current liabilities 2,007 271 1,874 (1,541 ) 2,611 Long-term debt 3,564 — — — 3,564 Intercompany loans payable 11 — 1,360 (1,371 ) — Pension and other postretirement benefits 196 — 78 — 274 Other non-current liabilities 52 74 314 (1 ) 439 Total liabilities 5,830 345 3,626 (2,913 ) 6,888 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 1,080 1,080 Equity: Common stock 412 — 2,460 (2,460 ) 412 Additional paid-in capital (174 ) 1,154 10,485 (10,963 ) 502 Retained income 9,721 176 1,034 (1,721 ) 9,210 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (292 ) — (525 ) 44 (773 ) Less: common stock in treasury (8,701 ) — (7 ) 7 (8,701 ) Total equity - controlling interests 966 1,330 13,447 (15,093 ) 650 Total equity - noncontrolling interests 51 51 Total equity 966 1,330 13,447 (15,042 ) 701 Total liabilities and equity $ 6,796 $ 1,675 $ 17,073 $ (16,875 ) $ 8,669 Balance Sheet December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 167 $ — $ 1,314 $ — $ 1,481 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 116 319 556 — 991 Intercompany receivable 208 1,872 1,273 (3,353 ) — Deferred income taxes 75 10 24 — 109 Prepaid and other current assets 120 13 80 (1 ) 212 Assets of a business held for sale 4 — 499 — 503 Total current assets 690 2,214 3,746 (3,354 ) 3,296 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 141 3 126 — 270 Goodwill 17 40 2,816 9 2,882 Other intangible assets, net — — 1,522 — 1,522 Investments in subsidiaries 4,651 659 7,316 (12,626 ) — Intercompany loans receivable 16 368 1,733 (2,117 ) — Other non-current assets 67 19 127 — 213 Total assets $ 5,582 $ 3,303 $ 17,386 $ (18,088 ) $ 8,183 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 71 $ 54 $ 81 $ — $ 206 Intercompany payable 2,144 675 535 (3,354 ) — Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans 127 89 167 — 383 Short-term debt 143 — — — 143 Income taxes currently payable 1 — 55 — 56 Unearned revenue 254 586 582 (1 ) 1,421 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 115 6 — 121 Other current liabilities 190 (50 ) 232 — 372 Liabilities of a business held for sale 80 — 126 — 206 Total current liabilities 3,010 1,469 1,784 (3,355 ) 2,908 Long-term debt 3,468 — — — 3,468 Intercompany loans payable 21 — 2,096 (2,117 ) — Pension and other postretirement benefits 230 — 46 — 276 Other non-current liabilities (25 ) 98 295 — 368 Total liabilities 6,704 1,567 4,221 (5,472 ) 7,020 Redeemable noncontrolling interest — — — 920 920 Equity: Common stock 412 — 2,337 (2,337 ) 412 Additional paid-in capital (184 ) 1,179 10,174 (10,694 ) 475 Retained income 6,701 557 987 (609 ) 7,636 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (322 ) — (322 ) 44 (600 ) Less: common stock in treasury (7,729 ) — (12 ) 12 (7,729 ) Total equity - controlling interests (1,122 ) 1,736 13,164 (13,584 ) 194 Total equity - noncontrolling interests — — 1 48 49 Total equity (1,122 ) 1,736 13,165 (13,536 ) 243 Total liabilities and equity $ 5,582 $ 3,303 $ 17,386 $ (18,088 ) $ 8,183
Statement of Cash Flows	Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2016 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net income $ 3,069 $ 767 $ 1,766 $ (3,374 ) $ 2,228 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 38 9 38 — 85 Amortization of intangibles — — 96 — 96 Provision for losses on accounts receivable 1 — 8 — 9 Deferred income taxes 16 (9 ) 72 — 79 Stock-based compensation 22 17 37 — 76 Gain on dispositions (1,072 ) — (29 ) — (1,101 ) Accrued legal and regulatory settlements 3 1 50 — 54 Other 48 5 (23 ) — 30 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable (24 ) 187 (340 ) — (177 ) Prepaid and current assets (9 ) 10 (3 ) — (2 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (53 ) (39 ) 66 — (26 ) Unearned revenue 19 (395 ) 483 — 107 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (108 ) (42 ) — (150 ) Other current liabilities (29 ) (27 ) 35 — (21 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes 99 — 33 — 132 Net change in other assets and liabilities (9 ) 38 16 — 45 Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations 2,119 456 2,263 (3,374 ) 1,464 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (68 ) (15 ) (32 ) — (115 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (144 ) — (33 ) — (177 ) Proceeds from dispositions 1,422 — 76 — 1,498 Changes in short-term investments — — (1 ) — (1 ) Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations 1,210 (15 ) 10 — 1,205 Financing Activities: Payments on short-term debt, net (143 ) — — — (143 ) Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net 493 — — — 493 Payments on senior notes (421 ) — — — (421 ) Dividends paid to shareholders (380 ) — — — (380 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (116 ) — (116 ) Contingent consideration payments (5 ) — (34 ) — (39 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (1,123 ) — — — (1,123 ) Exercise of stock options 86 — 2 — 88 Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 41 — — — 41 Intercompany financing activities (1,333 ) (441 ) (1,600 ) 3,374 — Cash used for financing activities from continuing operations (2,785 ) (441 ) (1,748 ) 3,374 (1,600 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations — — (158 ) — (158 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents 544 — 367 — 911 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 167 — 1,314 — 1,481 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 711 $ — $ 1,681 $ — $ 2,392 Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2015 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net income $ 1,449 $ 824 $ 740 $ (1,745 ) $ 1,268 Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 40 18 32 — 90 Amortization of intangibles — — 67 — 67 Provision for losses on accounts receivable 1 1 6 — 8 Deferred income taxes 33 290 (43 ) — 280 Stock-based compensation 23 24 31 — 78 Gain on dispositions — — (11 ) — (11 ) Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 110 9 — 119 Other 23 16 18 — 57 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable 3 (27 ) (94 ) — (118 ) Prepaid and current assets (13 ) 14 (5 ) — (4 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (75 ) (34 ) 17 — (92 ) Unearned revenue (5 ) 66 68 — 129 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (1,624 ) — — (1,624 ) Other current liabilities (32 ) (35 ) (11 ) — (78 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes (54 ) — 115 — 61 Net change in other assets and liabilities 78 8 (121 ) — (35 ) Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations 1,471 (349 ) 818 (1,745 ) 195 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (67 ) (10 ) (62 ) — (139 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (2,243 ) — (153 ) — (2,396 ) Proceeds from dispositions — — 14 — 14 Changes in short-term investments — — (4 ) — (4 ) Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations (2,310 ) (10 ) (205 ) — (2,525 ) Financing Activities: Additions to short-term debt, net 143 — — — 143 Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net 2,674 — — — 2,674 Dividends paid to shareholders (363 ) — — — (363 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (104 ) — (104 ) Contingent consideration payments (5 ) — — — (5 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (974 ) — — — (974 ) Exercise of stock options 80 — 6 — 86 Purchase of additional CRISIL shares — — (16 ) — (16 ) Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 69 — — — 69 Intercompany financing activities (2,020 ) 359 (84 ) 1,745 — Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations (396 ) 359 (198 ) 1,745 1,510 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations — — (67 ) — (67 ) Cash (used for) provided by continuing operations (1,235 ) — 348 — (887 ) Discontinued Operations: Cash used for operating activities — — (129 ) — (129 ) Cash used for discontinued operations — — (129 ) — (129 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (1,235 ) — 219 — (1,016 ) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 1,402 — 1,095 — 2,497 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 167 $ — $ 1,314 $ — $ 1,481 Statement of Cash Flows Year Ended December 31, 2014 (in millions) S&P Global Inc. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations S&P Global Inc. Consolidated Operating Activities: Net (loss) income $ (326 ) $ (519 ) $ 637 $ 195 $ (13 ) Less: discontinued operations, net 178 — — — 178 (Loss) income from continuing operations (504 ) (519 ) 637 195 (191 ) Adjustments to reconcile (loss) income from continuing operations to cash (used for) provided by operating activities from continuing operations: Depreciation 41 17 28 — 86 Amortization of intangibles 4 — 44 — 48 Provision for losses on accounts receivable — 5 6 — 11 Deferred income taxes 42 (272 ) (15 ) — (245 ) Stock-based compensation 31 34 35 — 100 Loss on dispositions 3 — 6 — 9 Accrued legal and regulatory settlements — 1,587 — — 1,587 Other 18 39 14 — 71 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable (11 ) 47 (45 ) — (9 ) Prepaid and current assets (42 ) (17 ) 52 — (7 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (83 ) (47 ) — — (130 ) Unearned revenue 8 26 44 — 78 Accrued legal and regulatory settlement — (35 ) — — (35 ) Other current liabilities (51 ) 45 (10 ) — (16 ) Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes 13 3 (109 ) — (93 ) Net change in other assets and liabilities (131 ) 5 71 — (55 ) Cash (used for) provided by operating activities from continuing operations (662 ) 918 758 195 1,209 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (26 ) (14 ) (52 ) — (92 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired — — (71 ) — (71 ) Proceeds from dispositions 63 — 20 — 83 Changes in short-term investments — — 15 — 15 Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations 37 (14 ) (88 ) — (65 ) Financing Activities: Dividends paid to shareholders (326 ) — — — (326 ) Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests — — (84 ) — (84 ) Contingent consideration payments — — (11 ) — (11 ) Repurchase of treasury shares (362 ) — — — (362 ) Exercise of stock options 184 — 9 — 193 Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 128 — — — 128 Intercompany financing activities 1,377 (904 ) (278 ) (195 ) — Cash provided by (used for) financing activities from continuing operations 1,001 (904 ) (364 ) (195 ) (462 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations 3 — (68 ) — (65 ) Cash provided by continuing operations 379 — 238 — 617 Discontinued Operations: Cash provided by operating activities 18 — — — 18 Cash provided by investing activities 320 — — — 320 Cash provided by discontinued operations 338 — — — 338 Net change in cash and cash equivalents 717 — 238 — 955 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 685 — 857 — 1,542 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 1,402 $ — $ 1,095 $ — $ 2,497

Accounting Policies (Details)

Accounting Policies (Details)	Jul. 31, 2014USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)unitsSegment	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments | Segment							3
Market value of cash and cash equivalents			$ 2,392,000,000			$ 1,542,000,000	$ 2,392,000,000	$ 1,481,000,000	$ 2,497,000,000
Deferred technology costs, gross			145,000,000				145,000,000	128,000,000
Accumulated amortization of deferred technology costs			91,000,000				91,000,000	72,000,000
Fair value of our long-term debt borrowings			3,700,000,000				3,700,000,000	3,600,000,000
Non-cash impairment charge associated with finite-lived intangible assets							24,000,000
Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed						$ 36,000,000
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions			$ 379,000,000	$ 722,000,000			$ 1,100,000,000
Number of reporting units | units							4
Cost of advertisement							$ 35,000,000	33,000,000	35,000,000
Goodwill impairment							0	0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment							0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments							41,000,000	69,000,000	128,000,000
Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation							$ 55,000,000	92,000,000	95,000,000
Minimum | Software and Software Development Costs
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							3 years
Minimum | Building Improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							15 years
Minimum | Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							2 years
Maximum | Software and Software Development Costs
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							7 years
Maximum | Building Improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							40 years
Maximum | Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life							10 years
Data Center
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from sale of business		$ 58,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed					$ 6,000,000
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions									$ (9,000,000)
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Harold W. McGraw III
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Amount of transaction with related party	$ 20,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | McGraw Hill Construction
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions								$ 11,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Data Center
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from sale of business		58,000,000
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions		$ (3,000,000)

Acquisitions and Divestitures -

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Acquisitions Narrative (Details) company in Thousands	Sep. 01, 2015USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014countrycompany	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)sector	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015USD ($)	Aug. 18, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2003
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired			$ 177,000,000	$ 2,400,000,000	$ 82,000,000
Payments for previous acquisition			$ 39,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 11,000,000
Equity method investment, ownership percentage									45.00%
Minimum number of companies represented in broad market indices | company		11
Minimum number of countries represented in broad market indices | country		52
Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amortization period for intangible assets (in years)				18 years	7 years
Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt face amount							$ 2,000,000,000	$ 2,000,000,000
Kensho Technologies
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cost method investment ownership percentage			2.54%
TRIS Rating Company Limited
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity method investment, ownership percentage						49.00%
PIRA Energy Group
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments for previous acquisition			$ 34,000,000
UCG
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments for previous acquisition			$ 5,000,000	$ 5,000,000
SNL Financial LC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of business acquired	$ 2,200,000,000
Number of sectors in global economy served by acquiree | sector			5
Acquisition-related costs				$ 37,000,000
SNL Financial LC | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amortization period of acquired intangible assets (in years)				10 years
SNL Financial LC | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amortization period of acquired intangible assets (in years)				18 years
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amortization period of acquired intangible assets (in years)			3 years
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amortization period of acquired intangible assets (in years)			10 years
Coalition Development Ltd
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments for previous acquisition					$ 11,000,000

Acquisitions and Divestitures43

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Purchase Price Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 2,949	$ 2,882		$ 1,387
SNL Financial LC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets			$ 29
Property, plant and equipment			19
Goodwill			1,574
Other intangible assets, net			772
Other non-current assets			1
Total assets acquired			2,395
Current liabilities			(43)
Unearned revenue			(117)
Other non-current liabilities			(1)
Total liabilities acquired			(161)
Net assets acquired			2,234
SNL Financial LC | Databases and software
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets, net			421
SNL Financial LC | Customer relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets, net			162
SNL Financial LC | Tradenames
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets, net			185
SNL Financial LC | Other intangibles
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets, net			$ 4

Acquisitions and Divestitures44

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Supplemental Pro Forma Information (Details) - SNL Financial LC - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Pro forma revenue	$ 5,477	$ 5,275
Pro forma net income (loss) from continuing operations	$ 1,258	$ (251)

Acquisitions and Divestitures45

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Liabilities Assumed From Acquisition of Businesses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Fair value of assets acquired	$ 253	$ 2,576	$ 67
Cash paid (net of cash acquired)	211	2,401	52
Liabilities assumed	$ 42	$ 175	$ 15

Acquisitions and Divestitures46

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Divestitures Narrative (Details) $ in Millions

Nov. 03, 2014USD ($)

Jul. 31, 2014USD ($)

Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)

Nov. 30, 2016USD ($)

Oct. 31, 2016USD ($)business

Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)

Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

$ 379

$ 722

$ 1,100

Gain on dispositions

1,101

$ 11

$ (9)

Gain (loss) on disposition of business, net of tax

$ 297

$ 521

Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed

$ 36

Gain on sale of discontinued operations

$ 0

0

160

Data Center

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Cash proceeds from sale of business

$ 58

Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | QuantHouse

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Gain (loss) on write-down

$ 31

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

(9)

Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed

$ 6

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Equity Research

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

$ 9

Gain (loss) on disposition of business, net of tax

5

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | SPSE and CMA

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

364

Gain (loss) on disposition of business, net of tax

$ 297

Number of businesses disposed | business

2

Cash proceeds from sale of business

$ 425

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | J.D. Power

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

$ 728

Gain (loss) on disposition of business, net of tax

516

Cash proceeds from sale of business

$ 1,100

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | McGraw Hill Construction

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

$ 11

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Data Center

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions

(3)

Cash proceeds from sale of business

$ 58

Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Harold W. McGraw III

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Amount of transaction with related party

$ 20

Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale | McGraw Hill Construction

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Cash proceeds from sale of business

$ 320

Gain on sale of discontinued operations

$ 160

Acquisitions and Divestitures47

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Components of Business Held For Sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Components of Assets and Liabilities Held For Sale
Liabilities of a business held for sale	$ 45	$ 206
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Income Statement Disclosures [Abstract]
Pre-tax income	62	85	$ 71
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | QuantHouse
Components of Assets and Liabilities Held For Sale
Accounts receivable, net	4
Goodwill	0
Other intangible assets, net	0
Other assets	3
Assets of a business held for sale	7
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	3
Unearned revenue	7
Other liabilities	35
Liabilities of a business held for sale	$ 45
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | J.D. Power
Components of Assets and Liabilities Held For Sale
Accounts receivable, net		58
Goodwill		75
Other intangible assets, net		335
Other assets		35
Assets of a business held for sale		503
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		42
Unearned revenue		64
Other liabilities		100
Liabilities of a business held for sale		$ 206

Acquisitions and Divestitures48

Acquisitions and Divestitures - Components of Income From Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Operating income	$ 62	$ 85	$ 71
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	18
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	160
Income from discontinued operations attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders	$ 0	$ 0	178
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale | McGraw Hill Construction
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenue			139
Expenses			110
Operating income			29
Provision for taxes on income			11
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax			18
Pre-tax gain on sale from discontinued operations			289
Provision for taxes on gain on sale			129
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax			160
Income from discontinued operations attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders			$ 178

Goodwill and Other Intangible49

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Carrying value of trade name and licenses	$ 714
Weighted-average life of the intangible assets	12 years
Amortization of intangibles	$ 96	$ 67	$ 48
Maximum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Weighted-average life of the intangible assets	20 years
Dow Jones Index | Intellectual Property
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Carrying value of trade name and licenses		380
Dow Jones Index | Tradenames
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Carrying value of trade name and licenses		90
Market and Commodities Intelligence | Tradenames
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Carrying value of trade name and licenses		185
Indices | Goldman Sachs Commodity and Broad Market Intellectual Property [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Carrying value of trade name and licenses		$ 59

Goodwill and Other Intangible50

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	$ 2,882	$ 1,387
Acquisitions	113	1,602
Dispositions	(35)
Reclassifications		(75)
Other (primarily Fx)	(11)	(32)
Goodwill, Ending balance	2,949	2,882
Ratings
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	114	122
Acquisitions	0	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassifications		0
Other (primarily Fx)	(5)	(8)
Goodwill, Ending balance	109	114
Market and Commodities Intelligence
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	2,392	889
Acquisitions	106	1,602
Dispositions	(35)
Reclassifications		(75)
Other (primarily Fx)	(6)	(24)
Goodwill, Ending balance	2,457	2,392
Indices
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	376	376
Acquisitions	7	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassifications		0
Other (primarily Fx)	0	0
Goodwill, Ending balance	$ 383	$ 376

Goodwill and Other Intangible51

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 1,133	$ 637
Acquisitions	98	598
Dispositions	(10)
Impairment	(24)
Reclassifications	0	(91)
Other (primarily Fx)	(14)	(11)
Ending balance	1,183	1,133	$ 637
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	324	326
Current year amortization	96	67	48
Dispositions	(7)
Impairment	(12)
Reclassifications	0	(64)
Other (primarily Fx)	(10)	(5)
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	391	324	326
Net amount	792	809
Databases and software
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	510	113
Acquisitions	0	421
Dispositions	0
Impairment	(2)
Reclassifications	0	(19)
Other (primarily Fx)	(2)	(5)
Ending balance	506	510	113
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	88	88
Current year amortization	47	20
Dispositions	0
Impairment	(2)
Reclassifications	2	(18)
Other (primarily Fx)	(3)	(2)
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	132	88	88
Net amount	374	422
Content
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	139	139
Acquisitions	0	0
Dispositions	0
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Other (primarily Fx)	0	0
Ending balance	139	139	139
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	73	59
Current year amortization	14	14
Dispositions	0
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Other (primarily Fx)	0	0
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	87	73	59
Net amount	52	66
Customer relationships
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	168	228
Acquisitions	0	0
Dispositions	0
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	165	(62)
Other (primarily Fx)	(3)	2
Ending balance	330	168	228
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	60	80
Current year amortization	21	9
Dispositions	0
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	5	(30)
Other (primarily Fx)	(2)	1
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	84	60	80
Net amount	246	108
Tradenames
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	47	46
Acquisitions	0	0
Dispositions	(2)
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	1	(2)
Other (primarily Fx)	(1)	3
Ending balance	45	47	46
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	36	35
Current year amortization	2	2
Dispositions	(1)
Impairment	0
Reclassifications	0	(2)
Other (primarily Fx)	(1)	1
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	36	36	35
Net amount	9	11
Other intangibles
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	269	111
Acquisitions	98	177
Dispositions	(8)
Impairment	(22)
Reclassifications	(166)	(8)
Other (primarily Fx)	(8)	(11)
Ending balance	163	269	111
Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Roll Forward]
Accumulated amortization, Beginning balance	67	64
Current year amortization	12	22
Dispositions	(6)
Impairment	(10)
Reclassifications	(7)	(14)
Other (primarily Fx)	(4)	(5)
Accumulated amortization, Ending balance	52	67	$ 64
Net amount	$ 111	$ 202

Goodwill and Other Intangible52

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Projected Amortization Expense (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Projected amortization expense for intangible assets
Expected amortization expense, 2017	$ 88
Expected amortization expense, 2018	84
Expected amortization expense, 2019	79
Expected amortization expense, 2020	73
Expected amortization expense, 2021	$ 62

Taxes on Income (Details)

Taxes on Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income before taxes domestic and foreign operations
Domestic operations	$ 2,585	$ 1,266	$ (423)
Foreign operations	603	549	477
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income	3,188	1,815	54
Federal:
Current	641	90	285
Deferred	79	276	(213)
Total federal	720	366	72
Foreign:
Current	133	111	135
Deferred	(4)	(1)	1
Total foreign	129	110	136
State and local:
Current	99	34	62
Deferred	12	37	(25)
Total state and local	111	71	37
Total provision for taxes for continuing operations	960	547	245
Provision for discontinued operations	0	0	140
Total provision for taxes	$ 960	$ 547	$ 385
Reconciliation of federal statutory income tax rate
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Legal and regulatory settlements	0.00%	0.00%	524.10%
State and local income taxes	2.70%	2.60%	64.20%
Divestitures	(4.30%)	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign operations	(2.00%)	(3.20%)	(79.60%)
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC joint venture	(1.20%)	(2.00%)	(60.20%)
Tax credits and incentives	(1.60%)	(2.90%)	(91.50%)
Other, net	1.50%	0.60%	61.70%
Effective income tax rate for continuing operations	30.10%	30.10%	453.70%

Taxes on Income - Narrative (De

Taxes on Income - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries for income tax purposes	$ 1,700
Net income tax payments	683	$ 260	$ 419
Operating loss carryforwards	446
Total amount of federal, state and local, and foreign unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties	161	120	$ 118	$ 82
Increase in amount of unrecognized tax benefits that unfavorably impact tax expense	46
Accrued interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions	$ 44	$ 31

Taxes on Income - Temporary Dif

Taxes on Income - Temporary Differences (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred tax assets:
Legal and regulatory settlements	$ 23	$ 45
Employee compensation	78	91
Accrued expenses	87	72
Postretirement benefits	105	126
Unearned revenue	33	39
Allowance for doubtful accounts	11	12
Loss carryforwards	112	114
Other	3	18
Total deferred tax assets	452	517
Deferred tax liabilities:
Goodwill and intangible assets	(320)	(299)
Fixed assets	(3)	(9)
Other	0	0
Total deferred tax liabilities	(323)	(308)
Net deferred income tax asset (liability) before valuation allowance	129	209
Valuation allowance	(116)	(98)
Net deferred income tax asset (liability)	13	111
Reported as:
Current deferred tax assets		109
Current deferred tax liabilities		(8)
Non-current deferred tax assets	61
Non-current deferred tax assets		33
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	(48)
Non-current deferred tax liabilities		(23)
Net deferred income tax asset (liability)	$ 13	$ 111

Taxes on Income - Unrecognized

Taxes on Income - Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reconciliation of beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits
Balance at beginning of year	$ 120	$ 118	$ 82
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	35	22	30
Additions for tax positions of prior years	14	12	33
Reduction for tax positions of prior years	(3)	(14)	(11)
Reduction for settlements	(5)	(18)	(16)
Balance at end of year	$ 161	$ 120	$ 118

Debt (Details)

Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 20, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 22, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Aug. 18, 2015	May 26, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 3,564		$ 3,611
Less: short-term debt including current maturities		0		143
Long-term debt		3,564		3,468
Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0		143
Senior Notes | 5.9% Senior Notes, due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 0		399
Early repayment of senior debt	$ 400
Interest rate	5.90%	5.90%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 2
Senior Notes | 2.5% Senior Notes, due 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 398		398
Interest rate		2.50%			2.50%
Senior Notes | 3.3% Senior Notes, due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 696		695
Interest rate		3.30%			3.30%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 4
Senior Notes | 4.0% Senior Notes, due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 691		690
Interest rate		4.00%				4.00%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 9
Senior Notes | 4.4% Senior Notes, due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 891		890
Interest rate		4.40%			4.40%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 9
Senior Notes | 2.95% Senior Notes, due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 492		0
Interest rate		2.95%	2.95%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 8
Senior Notes | 6.55% Senior Notes, due 2037
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$ 396		$ 396
Interest rate		6.55%
Unamortized debt discount and issuance costs		$ 4

Debt - Narrative (Details)

Debt - Narrative (Details)	Oct. 20, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Sep. 22, 2016USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015USD ($)	Aug. 18, 2015USD ($)	May 26, 2015USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual long term debt maturity year 2017		$ 0
Annual long term debt maturity year 2018		398,000,000
Annual long term debt maturity year 2019		0
Annual long term debt maturity 2020		696,000,000
Annual long term debt maturity 2021		0
Annual long term debt maturity thereafter		$ 2,500,000,000
Indebtedness to cash flow (not greater than)		4
Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commercial paper, borrowings outstanding		$ 0	$ 143,000,000
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount						$ 2,000,000,000	$ 2,000,000,000
2.95% Senior Notes, due 2027 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount				$ 500,000,000
Interest rate		2.95%		2.95%
5.9% Senior Notes, due 2017 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.90%	5.90%
Early repayment of senior debt	$ 400,000,000
2.5% Senior Notes, due 2018 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount							$ 400,000,000
Interest rate		2.50%					2.50%
3.3% Senior Notes, due 2020 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount							$ 700,000,000
Interest rate		3.30%					3.30%
4.4% Senior Notes, due 2026 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount							$ 900,000,000
Interest rate		4.40%					4.40%
4.0% Senior Notes, due 2025 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount								$ 700,000,000
Interest rate		4.00%						4.00%
Five-year Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity					$ 1,200,000,000
Commercial paper, borrowing term		5 years
Commitment fee		0.15%
Five-year Revolving Credit Facility | Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commercial paper, borrowings outstanding		$ 0	$ 143,000,000
Commercial paper, weighted average interest rate			0.95%
Commercial paper, weighted average term			17 days
Minimum | Five-year Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee		0.10%
Maximum | Five-year Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee		0.20%

Derivative Instruments - Narrat

Derivative Instruments - Narrative (Details) - Foreign exchange forward contracts - Designated as hedging instrument - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Cash flow hedge gain (loss) be be reclassified within 12 months	$ 2,000,000
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedge ineffectiveness	0
Cash flow hedging
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative notional amount	$ 65,000,000	$ 58,000,000

Derivative Instruments - Fair V

Derivative Instruments - Fair Value Amounts of Cash Flow Hedges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Foreign exchange forward contracts | Prepaid and other current assets | Designated as hedging instrument | Cash flow hedging
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	$ 3	$ 1

Derivative Instruments - Pre-ta

Derivative Instruments - Pre-tax Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges (Details) - Foreign exchange forward contracts - Designated as hedging instrument - Cash flow hedging - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (effective portion)	$ 3	$ 0	$ 2
Selling and general expenses
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Income (effective portion)	$ 4	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative Instruments - Change

Derivative Instruments - Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) in AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 243	$ 539	$ 1,344
Ending Balance	701	243	539
Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges Attributable to Parent
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(1)	(1)	(3)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	7	0	2
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings	(4)	0	0
Ending Balance	$ 2	$ (1)	$ (1)

Employee Benefits - Benefit Obl

Employee Benefits - Benefit Obligation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$ 2,023
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	2,073	$ 2,023
Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets:
Non-current liabilities	(274)	(276)
Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Net benefit obligation at beginning of year	2,199	2,462
Service cost	3	6	$ 5
Interest cost	78	96	99
Plan participants’ contributions	0	0
Actuarial loss (gain)	196	(189)
Gross benefits paid	(121)	(150)
Foreign currency effect	(75)	(26)
Other adjustments	(20)	0
Net benefit obligation at end of year	2,260	2,199	2,462
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	2,023	2,236
Actual return on plan assets	259	(57)
Employer contributions	8	15
Plan participants’ contributions	0	0
Gross benefits paid	(121)	(150)
Foreign currency effect	(74)	(21)
Other adjustments	(22)	0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	2,073	2,023	2,236
Funded status	(187)	(176)
Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets:
Non-current assets	46	36
Current liabilities	(8)	(8)
Non-current liabilities	(225)	(204)
Total amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets	(187)	(176)
Accumulated benefit obligation	2,251	2,190
Plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of the fair value of plan assets:
Projected benefit obligation	674	1,810
Accumulated benefit obligation	665	1,801
Fair value of plan assets	441	1,598
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	483	433
Prior service credit	1	1
Total recognized	484	434
Postretirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Net benefit obligation at beginning of year	80	96
Service cost	0	0	1
Interest cost	2	3	4
Plan participants’ contributions	4	4
Actuarial loss (gain)	(6)	(12)
Gross benefits paid	(10)	(12)
Foreign currency effect	0	0
Other adjustments	(13)	1
Net benefit obligation at end of year	57	80	96
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0	0
Actual return on plan assets	0	0
Employer contributions	6	8
Plan participants’ contributions	4	4
Gross benefits paid	(10)	(12)
Foreign currency effect	0	0
Other adjustments	0	0
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0	0	$ 0
Funded status	(57)	(80)
Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets:
Non-current assets	0	0
Current liabilities	(8)	(8)
Non-current liabilities	(49)	(72)
Total amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets	(57)	(80)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	(35)	(24)
Prior service credit	(13)	(5)
Total recognized	$ (48)	$ (29)

Employee Benefits - Net Periodi

Employee Benefits - Net Periodic Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax
Total recognized	$ 37	$ (25)	$ 215
Retirement Plans
Components of net periodic cost for retirement plans and post-retirement plans
Service cost	3	6	5
Interest cost	78	96	99
Expected return on assets	(122)	(127)	(138)
Actuarial loss (gain)	16	20	11
Prior service (credit) cost	0	0	0
Curtailment	0	0	0
Net periodic benefit cost	(25)	(5)	(23)
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax
Net actuarial loss (gain)	60	(6)	232
Recognized actuarial (gain) loss	(10)	(13)	(7)
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0	0
Total recognized	50	(19)	225
Postretirement Plans
Components of net periodic cost for retirement plans and post-retirement plans
Service cost	0	0	1
Interest cost	2	3	4
Expected return on assets			0
Actuarial loss (gain)	(1)	0	(1)
Prior service (credit) cost	0	(1)	0
Curtailment	0	0	(1)
Net periodic benefit cost	1	2	3
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax
Net actuarial loss (gain)	(12)	(17)	3
Recognized actuarial (gain) loss	1	0	1
Prior service cost (credit)	(8)	1	(5)
Total recognized	$ (19)	$ (16)	$ (1)

Employee Benefits - Assumptions

Employee Benefits - Assumptions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2024	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Effects created by one percentage point change in assumed healthcare cost trend
Effect of 1% point increase on postretirement obligation			$ 1
Effect of 1% point decrease on postretirement obligation			$ (1)
Retirement Plans
Benefit obligation
Discount rate			4.14%	4.47%	4.15%
Net periodic cost
Return on assets			6.25%	6.25%	7.125%
United States Retirement Plans
Net periodic cost
Discount rate			4.47%	4.15%	5.00%
United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Net periodic cost
Discount rate			3.84%	3.80%	4.50%
Postretirement Plans
Benefit obligation
Discount rate			3.69%	3.90%	3.60%
Net periodic cost
Weighted-average healthcare cost rate			7.00%	7.00%	7.00%
Discount rate			3.94%	3.60%	4.125%
Subsequent Event | Retirement Plans
Net periodic cost
Return on assets	6.25%
Scenario, Forecast | Postretirement Plans
Net periodic cost
Weighted-average healthcare cost rate		5.00%
Change in Accounting Method Accounted for as Change in Estimate
Net periodic cost
Decrease in pension and postretirement medical costs			$ 14

Employee Benefits - Cash Flows

Employee Benefits - Cash Flows (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Retirement Plans
Information about the expected cash flows for retirement and post-retirement plans and impact of the Medicare subsidy
2017, Net payments	$ 88
2018, Net payments	90
2019, Net payments	93
2020, Net payments	96
2021, Net payments	98
2022-2026, Net payments	527
Postretirement Plans
Information about the expected cash flows for retirement and post-retirement plans and impact of the Medicare subsidy
2017, Gross payments	12
2018, Gross payments	11
2019, Gross payments	10
2020, Gross payments	9
2021, Gross payments	8
2022-2026, Gross payments	30
2017, Retiree Contributions	(4)
2018, Retiree Contributions	(4)
2019, Retiree Contributions	(3)
2020, Retiree Contributions	(3)
2021, Retiree Contributions	(3)
2022-2026, Retiree Contributions	(12)
2017, Medicare subsidy	0
2018, Medicare subsidy	0
2019, Medicare subsidy	0
2020, Medicare subsidy	0
2021, Medicare subsidy	0
2022-2026, Medicare subsidy	0
2017, Net payments	8
2018, Net payments	7
2019, Net payments	7
2020, Net payments	6
2021, Net payments	5
2022-2026, Net payments	$ 18

Employee Benefits - Fair Value

Employee Benefits - Fair Value of Plan Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Collective investment funds	$ 749	$ 763
Fair value of plan assets, excluding collective investment funds	1,324	1,260
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	2,073	2,023
Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	251	197
Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	1,062	1,063
Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	11	0
Cash and short-term investments
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	38	1
Cash and short-term investments | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	38	1
Cash and short-term investments | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Cash and short-term investments | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
US indexed equity securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	69	63
US indexed equity securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	69	63
US indexed equity securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
US indexed equity securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
U.S. growth and value
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	103	92
U.S. growth and value | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	103	92
U.S. growth and value | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
U.S. growth and value | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
UK equity securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	3	6
UK equity securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	3	6
UK equity securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
UK equity securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
International equity securities excluding UK
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	38	35
International equity securities excluding UK | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	38	35
International equity securities excluding UK | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
International equity securities excluding UK | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Long duration strategy
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	970	969
Long duration strategy | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Long duration strategy | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	970	969
Long duration strategy | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Intermediate duration securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	32	31
Intermediate duration securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Intermediate duration securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	32	31
Intermediate duration securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Agency mortgage backed securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	5	6
Agency mortgage backed securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Agency mortgage backed securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	5	6
Agency mortgage backed securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Asset-backed securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	19	17
Asset-backed securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Asset-backed securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	19	17
Asset-backed securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Non-agency mortgage backed securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	20	23
Non-agency mortgage backed securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Non-agency mortgage backed securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	20	23
Non-agency mortgage backed securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
International fixed income securities
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	16	17
International fixed income securities | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
International fixed income securities | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	16	17
International fixed income securities | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Real estate funds
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	11
Real estate funds | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0
Real estate funds | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0
Real estate funds | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	11
Other
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Other | Level 1
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Other | Level 2
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	0	0
Other | Level 3
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class
Fair value of defined benefit plans assets by asset class, total	$ 0	$ 0

Employee Benefits - Level 3 Rol

Employee Benefits - Level 3 Roll Forward of Fair Value of Plan Assets (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets, Level 3 Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$ 2,023
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	2,073
Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets, Level 3 Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0
Purchases	11
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$ 11

Employee Benefits - Narrative (

Employee Benefits - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)trustshares	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)shares	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total cost for retirement plans	$ 69,000,000	$ 91,000,000	$ 81,000,000
Defined contribution plan cost	65,000,000	67,000,000	74,000,000
Pension trust assets	$ 2,073,000,000	$ 2,023,000,000
Shares purchased by US plan under defined contribution plan | shares	216,035	223,656
Shares sold by US plan under defined contribution plan | shares	437,283	247,984
Shares held by the US plan under defined contribution plan | shares	1,600,000	1,800,000
Shares held by the US plan under defined contribution plan, market value	$ 171,000,000	$ 179,000,000
Dividend received by the plan	2,000,000	2,000,000
Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Actuarial loss to be recognized in net periodic pension cost	18,000,000
Prior service cost to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost	0
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)	(25,000,000)	(5,000,000)	(23,000,000)
Expected required employer contribution	$ 8,000,000
Number of pension trust accounts | trust	2
Pension trust assets	$ 2,073,000,000	2,023,000,000	2,236,000,000
United States Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of pension trust accounts | trust	1
Pension trust assets	$ 1,600,000,000	1,600,000,000
United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)	$ (10,000,000)	(10,000,000)	(8,000,000)
Number of pension trust accounts | trust	1
Pension trust assets	$ 441,000,000	425,000,000
Postretirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Actuarial loss to be recognized in net periodic pension cost	0
Prior service cost to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost	0
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)	1,000,000	2,000,000	3,000,000
Pension trust assets	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Equity Securities, Domestic | United States Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	27.00%
Equity Securities, International | United States Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	5.00%
Debt Securities and Short-Term Investments | United States Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	68.00%
Equity Securities | United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	20.00%
Diversified Growth Funds | United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	30.00%
Fixed Income Funds | United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	40.00%
Real estate funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension trust assets	$ 11,000,000
Real estate funds | United Kingdom Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations	10.00%

Stock-Based Compensation - Narr

Stock-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Director deferred stock ownership plan amount to be credited to deferred stock accounts	50.00%
Share delivery term if elected	5 years
Award vesting period	3 years
Shares, granted (in shares)	0	0
Total fair value of stock options, vested	$ 7	$ 11	$ 6
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	$ 41	$ 69	128
Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	3 years
Award expiration period	10 years
Employee Stock Option | Graded Vesting Method
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	3 years
Employee Stock Option | Ratable Vest One
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award cost recognition period	12 months
Percentage of compensation costs recognized	33.33%
Employee Stock Option | Ratable Vest Two
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award cost recognition period	24 months
Percentage of compensation costs recognized	33.33%
Employee Stock Option | Ratable Vest Three
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award cost recognition period	36 months
McGraw Hill Education
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock based compensation from discontinued operations			$ 2

Stock-Based Compensation - Comm

Stock-Based Compensation - Common Shares Reserved for Issuance (Details) - shares shares in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Number of common shares reserved for issuance
Shares available for granting under the 2002 plan (in shares)	33.5	32.8
Options outstanding (in shares)	3.8	5.8
Total shares reserved for issuance (in shares)	37.3	38.6
Director Deferred Stock Ownership Plan
Number of common shares reserved for issuance
Total shares reserved for issuance (in shares)	0.1	0.1

Stock-Based Compensation - Stoc

Stock-Based Compensation - Stock-Based Compensation Expense and Stock Option Fair Value Assumptions (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock option expense	$ 7	$ 14	$ 21
Restricted stock and unit awards expense	69	64	79
Total stock-based compensation expense	76	78	100
Tax benefit	$ 29	$ 29	$ 38
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Dividend yield		1.40%
Expected life (years)		6 years 3 months 18 days
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per option		$ 27.57	$ 23.41
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free average interest rate		0.20%	0.10%
Dividend yield			1.40%
Volatility		21.00%	18.00%
Expected life (years)			6 years 2 months 16 days
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free average interest rate		1.90%	2.90%
Dividend yield			1.80%
Volatility		39.00%	41.00%
Expected life (years)			6 years 3 months

Stock-Based Compensation - St73

Stock-Based Compensation - Stock Option Activity (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Options, Outstanding, Shares
Options, Beginning balance (in shares) | shares	5.8
Shares, exercised (in shares) | shares	(1.9)
Shares, cancelled, forfeited and expired (in shares) | shares	(0.1)
Options, Ending balance (in shares) | shares	3.8
Weighted average exercise price
Weighted-average exercise price, Beginning balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 45.61
Weighted-average exercise price, exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	95.87
Weighted-average exercise price, cancelled, forfeited and expired (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	69.93
Weighted-average exercise price, Ending balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 43.36
Shares, options exercisable (in shares) | shares	3.7
Weighted-average exercise price, options exercisable (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 41.87
Weighted-average remaining years of contractual term, Options outstanding	3 years 7 months 6 days
Weighted-average remaining years of contractual term, Options exercisable	3 years 6 months
Aggregate intrinsic value, options outstanding | $	$ 246
Aggregate intrinsic value, options exercisable | $	$ 242
Non Vested Options
Nonvested Options Outstanding
Options, Beginning balance (in shares) | shares	0.8
Shares, vested (in shares) | shares	(0.5)
Shares, forfeited (in shares) | shares	(0.1)
Options, Ending balance (in shares) | shares	0.2
Weighted-average grant-date fair value
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Beginning balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 19.82
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, vested (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	19.35
Weighted-average exercise price, forfeited (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	21.84
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Beginning balance (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 23.42
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options | $	$ 0
Weighted-average years to be recognized over	3 months 18 days

Stock-Based Compensation - St74

Stock-Based Compensation - Stock Option Exercises (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Net cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options	$ 88	$ 86	$ 193
Total intrinsic value of stock option exercises	95	94	168
Income tax benefit realized from stock option exercises	$ 41	$ 49	$ 73

Stock-Based Compensation - Rest

Stock-Based Compensation - Restricted Stock and Unit Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Tax benefit relating to restricted stock activity	$ 29	$ 29	$ 38
Restricted Stock Activity [Member]
Restricted stock and unit activity
Nonvested shares, Beginning Balance (in shares)	1.2
Shares, Granted (in shares)	0.9
Shares, Vested (in shares)	(0.9)
Shares, Forfeited (in shares)	(0.2)
Nonvested shares, Ending Balance (in shares)	1	1.2
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Beginning balance (in dollars per share)	$ 92.39
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Granted (in dollars per share)	93.01	$ 77.06	$ 77.74
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Vested (in dollars per share)	106.81
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Forfeited (in dollars per share)	95.41
Weighted-average grant-date fair value, Ending balance (in dollars per share)	$ 106.31	$ 92.39
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested options	$ 55
Weighted-average years to be recognized over	1 year 8 months 12 days
Total fair value of restricted stock and unit awards vested	$ 99	$ 155	$ 88
Tax benefit relating to restricted stock activity	$ 26	$ 24	$ 30

Equity - Capital Stock (Details

Equity - Capital Stock (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Jan. 25, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock authorized (shares)		2,000,000
Par value of Preferred stock (in usd per share)		$ 1
Preferred stock issued (in shares)		0
Dividend history
Quarterly dividend rate (in usd per share)		$ 0.36	$ 0.330	$ 0.3
Annualized dividend rate (in usd per share)		$ 1.44	$ 1.32	$ 1.2
Dividends paid		$ 380	$ 363	$ 326
Subsequent Event
Dividend history
Quarterly dividend rate (in usd per share)	$ 0.41

Equity - Stock Repurchases (Det

Equity - Stock Repurchases (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Jun. 25, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 04, 2013
Share repurchases
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)		300,000
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)		$ 98.98		$ 113.36	$ 99	$ 79.06
Repurchase of treasury shares				$ 1,123	$ 974	$ 362
Total cash utilized		$ 26		$ 1,097	$ 1,002	$ 346
2013 Repurchase Program
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program number of shares authorized to be repurchased (shares)							50,000,000
Maximum number of shares authorized for repurchase under stock repurchase plan as percentage of outstanding common stock							18.00%
Share repurchases
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)				9,700,000	10,100,000	4,400,000
Remaining shares available under repurchase program				25,800,000
2011 Repurchase Program
Share repurchases
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)			100,000
Total cash utilized			$ 10
Stock Repurchases
Share repurchases
Repurchase of treasury shares				$ 974	$ 1,123	$ 362
Total cash utilized				$ 1,097	$ 1,000	$ 352
Harold W. McGraw III
Share repurchases
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)	500,000
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)	$ 82.66
Total cash utilized	$ 41
Repurchase discount	0.35%

Equity - Accelerated Share Repu

Equity - Accelerated Share Repurchase Program (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	Dec. 07, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 07, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 07, 2016
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)			0.3
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)			$ 98.98		$ 113.36	$ 99	$ 79.06
Accelerated Share Repurchases, September 2016
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Authorized amount								$ 750,000,000
Accelerated share repurchase, settlement (payment) or re		$ (750,000,000)
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)	0.9			6.1
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)				$ 122.18
Accelerated Share Repurchases, September 2016 | Initial Award
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)		4.4
Accelerated Share Repurchases, September 2016 | Additional Award
Accelerated Share Repurchases [Line Items]
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)		0.9

Equity - Redeemable Noncontroll

Equity - Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Equity [Abstract]
Interest in joint venture minimum percentage	20.00%
Change in control period	15 days
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Balance as of December 31, 2015	$ 920
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	109
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(102)
Redemption value adjustment	153
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$ 1,080

Equity - Accumulated Other Comp

Equity - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 243	$ 539	$ 1,344
Ending Balance	701	243	539
Tax provision of net actuarial loss and prior service cost related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans included in other comprehensive income	5
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(193)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(139)
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings	0
Net other comprehensive income	(139)
Ending Balance	(332)	(193)
Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(406)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(47)
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings	10
Net other comprehensive income	(37)
Ending Balance	(443)	(406)
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Forward Exchange Contracts
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(1)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	7
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings	(4)
Net other comprehensive income	3
Ending Balance	2	(1)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(600)	(514)	(196)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(179)
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings	6
Net other comprehensive income	(173)
Ending Balance	$ (773)	$ (600)	$ (514)

Earnings (Loss) per Share (Deta

Earnings (Loss) per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Amount attributable to S&P Global Inc. common shareholders:
Income (loss) from continuing operations									$ 2,106	$ 1,156	$ (293)
Income from discontinued operations									0	0	178
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.	$ 537	$ 892	$ 383	$ 294	$ 248	$ 252	$ 353	$ 303	$ 2,106	$ 1,156	$ (115)
Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (in shares)									262,800,000	271,600,000	271,500,000
Effect of stock options and other dilutive securities (in shares)									2,400,000	3,000,000	0
Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (in shares)									265,200,000	274,600,000	271,500,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations:
Basic (in dollars per share)									$ 8.02	$ 4.26	$ (1.08)
Diluted (in dollars per share)									7.94	4.21	(1.08)
Income from discontinued operations:
Basic (in dollars per share)									0	0	0.66
Diluted (in dollars per share)									0	0	0.66
Net income (loss):
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.07	$ 3.39	$ 1.45	$ 1.11	$ 0.92	$ 0.93	$ 1.29	$ 1.11	8.02	4.26	(0.42)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.05	$ 3.36	$ 1.44	$ 1.10	$ 0.91	$ 0.92	$ 1.28	$ 1.10	$ 7.94	$ 4.21	$ (0.42)
Employee Stock Option
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Outstanding shares not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share for both restricted stock and stock options (in shares)									0	0	2,900,000
Restricted Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Outstanding shares not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share for both restricted stock and stock options (in shares)									700,000	900,000	3,200,000

Restructuring - Narrative (Deta

Restructuring - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)Positions	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)Positions
Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Workforce reduction, positions | Positions	230
Initial Charge Recorded	$ 30
Restructuring charges paid	7
Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Workforce reduction, positions | Positions		550
Restructuring reserve reversed	7
Initial Charge Recorded	63	$ 63
Restructuring charges paid	40	13
Restructuring Plan, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring reserve reversed		$ 7
Initial Charge Recorded	$ 86

Restructuring (Details)

Restructuring (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	$ 30
Ending Reserve Balance	23
Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	63	$ 63
Ending Reserve Balance	10
Operating segments | Ratings
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	6	13	$ 45
Operating segments | Ratings | Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	14
Ending Reserve Balance	10
Operating segments | Ratings | Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded		18
Ending Reserve Balance	2
Operating segments | Market and Commodities Intelligence
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded		33	$ 25
Operating segments | Market and Commodities Intelligence | Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	10
Ending Reserve Balance	8
Operating segments | Market and Commodities Intelligence | Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded		34
Ending Reserve Balance	4
Operating segments | Indices | Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	1
Ending Reserve Balance	1
Operating segments | Indices | Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded		0
Ending Reserve Balance	0
Corporate | Restructuring Plan, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded	5
Ending Reserve Balance	4
Corporate | Restructuring Plan, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Initial Charge Recorded		$ 11
Ending Reserve Balance	$ 4

Segment and Geographic Inform84

Segment and Geographic Information - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016Segmentcountry
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | Segment	3
Number of countries in which operations is carried on | country	95
Maximum percentage of consolidated revenue represented by foreign countries (more than)	8.00%
Maximum percentage of consolidated revenue represented by single customer (more than)	10.00%

Segment and Geographic Inform85

Segment and Geographic Information - Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment information
Revenue	$ 1,399	$ 1,439	$ 1,482	$ 1,341	$ 1,374	$ 1,324	$ 1,342	$ 1,273	$ 5,661	$ 5,313	$ 5,051
Operating Profit (Loss)	857	1,348	$ 651	$ 512	424	$ 410	$ 582	$ 501	3,369	1,917	113
Amortization of intangibles									96	67	48
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions	379	$ 722							1,100
Depreciation & Amortization									181	157	134
Capital Expenditures									115	139	92
Total Assets	8,669				8,183				8,669	8,183
Assets of a business held for sale	7				503				7	503
Operating segments
Segment information
Operating Profit (Loss)									3,496	2,055	282
Depreciation & Amortization									173	150	124
Capital Expenditures									102	130	84
Total Assets	5,963				5,812				5,963	5,812
Intersegment elimination
Segment information
Revenue									(98)	(88)	(86)
Segment reconciling items
Segment information
Operating Profit (Loss)									(127)	(138)	(169)
Restructuring costs										10	16
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions									3	11
Corporate
Segment information
Depreciation & Amortization									8	7	10
Capital Expenditures									13	9	8
Total Assets	2,699				1,868				2,699	1,868
Ratings
Segment information
Total Assets	612				620				612	620
Ratings | Operating segments
Segment information
Revenue									2,535	2,428	2,455
Operating Profit (Loss)									1,262	1,078	(583)
Insurance Recoveries									10	54	1,600
Restructuring costs									6	13	45
Amortization of intangibles									5	5	6
Depreciation & Amortization									34	43	43
Capital Expenditures									42	48	33
Market and Commodities Intelligence
Segment information
Total Assets	4,104				4,011				4,104	4,011
Market and Commodities Intelligence | Operating segments
Segment information
Revenue									2,585	2,376	2,130
Operating Profit (Loss)									1,822	585	518
Restructuring costs										33	25
Amortization of intangibles									85	57	37
Impairment of intangible assets									24
Acquisition-related costs									1	37
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions									1,100
Gain (loss) on write-down									(48)
Depreciation & Amortization									131	99	74
Capital Expenditures									57	78	49
Indices
Segment information
Total Assets	$ 1,247				$ 1,181				1,247	1,181
Indices | Operating segments
Segment information
Revenue									639	597	552
Operating Profit (Loss)									412	392	347
Amortization of intangibles									6	5	5
Legal fees											4
Depreciation & Amortization									8	8	7
Capital Expenditures									$ 3	$ 4	$ 2

Segment and Geographic Inform86

Segment and Geographic Information - Geographic Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,399	$ 1,439	$ 1,482	$ 1,341	$ 1,374	$ 1,324	$ 1,342	$ 1,273	$ 5,661	$ 5,313	$ 5,051
Long-lived Assets	4,780				4,730				4,780	4,730
U.S.
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									3,461	3,202	2,911
Long-lived Assets	4,335				4,198				4,335	4,198
European region
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									1,330	1,265	1,316
Long-lived Assets	341				419				341	419
Asia
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									575	566	528
Long-lived Assets	58				63				58	63
Rest of the world
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									295	280	$ 296
Long-lived Assets	$ 46				$ 50				$ 46	$ 50
Geographic Concentration Risk | Revenue
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Revenue | U.S.
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									61.00%	60.00%	58.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Revenue | European region
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									24.00%	24.00%	26.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Revenue | Asia
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									10.00%	11.00%	10.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Revenue | Rest of the world
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									5.00%	5.00%	6.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Long-lived Assets
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									100.00%	100.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Long-lived Assets | U.S.
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									91.00%	89.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Long-lived Assets | European region
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									7.00%	9.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Long-lived Assets | Asia
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									1.00%	1.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk | Long-lived Assets | Rest of the world
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Concentration risk									1.00%	1.00%

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Rental Expense for Operating Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Gross rental expense	$ 179	$ 182	$ 199
Less: sublease revenue	(16)	(14)	(16)
Less: Rock-McGraw rent credit	0	(4)	(23)
Net rental expense	$ 163	$ 164	$ 160

Commitments and Contingencies88

Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016claimslawsuit	Dec. 31, 2003USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016employee	Aug. 30, 2015shareholderemployee	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Sale of equity investment in Rock-McGraw, Inc., percentage		45.00%
Proceeds from the disposition of equity investment in Rock-McGraw		$ 382
Pre-tax gain from Sale of equity investment in Rock-McGraw		131
After-tax gain from Sale of equity investment in Rock-McGraw		58
Pre-tax gain pursuant to sale-leaseback accounting rules		212
After-tax gain pursuant to sale-leaseback accounting rules		$ 126
Deferred gain							$ 60
Gain amortized during year			$ 4	$ 21
Financial Crisis Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Pending Claims, Number | lawsuit	7
Shareholder Derivative Action
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of shareholders commencing punitive derivative action | shareholder						2
Number of former employees named as defendants | employee					9	3
Number of claims dismissed | claims	2

Commitments and Contingencies89

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Rental Commitments (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Future minimum rental commitments
Rent commitment, 2017	$ 116
Rent commitment, 2018	110
Rent commitment, 2019	100
Rent commitment, 2020	73
Rent commitment, 2021	63
Rent commitment, 2022 and beyond	540
Rent commitment, Total	1,002
Sublease income, 2017	(17)
Sublease income, 2018	(17)
Sublease income, 2019	(17)
Sublease income, 2020	(3)
Sublease income, 2021	0
Sublease income, 2022 and beyond	0
Sublease income, Total	(54)
Net rent, 2017	99
Net rent, 2018	93
Net rent, 2019	83
Net rent, 2020	70
Net rent, 2021	63
Net rent, 2022 and beyond	540
Net rent, Total	$ 948

Related Party Transactions (Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	Jul. 31, 2014	Jun. 25, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed					$ 36
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)			0.3
Total cash utilized			$ 26			$ 1,097	$ 1,002	$ 346
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)			$ 98.98			$ 113.36	$ 99	$ 79.06
Harold W. McGraw III
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Total number of shares purchased (in shares)		0.5
Repurchase discount		0.35%
Total cash utilized		$ 41
Average price paid per share (in dollars per share)		$ 82.66
CME Group [Member] | S&P/DJ Indices [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenues earned under license agreement						$ 76	$ 63	$ 52
Noncontrolling interest ownership by noncontrolling owners									27.00%
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets to be disposed				$ 6
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Harold W. McGraw III
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amount of transaction with related party	$ 20

Quarterly Financial Informati91

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 1,399	$ 1,439	$ 1,482	$ 1,341	$ 1,374	$ 1,324	$ 1,342	$ 1,273	$ 5,661	$ 5,313	$ 5,051
Operating profit	857	1,348	651	512	424	410	582	501	3,369	1,917	113
Net income (loss)	569	923	412	323	276	281	381	329	2,228	1,268	(13)
Net income attributable to S&P Global common shareholders	$ 537	$ 892	$ 383	$ 294	$ 248	$ 252	$ 353	$ 303	$ 2,106	$ 1,156	$ (115)
Net income (loss):
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.07	$ 3.39	$ 1.45	$ 1.11	$ 0.92	$ 0.93	$ 1.29	$ 1.11	$ 8.02	$ 4.26	$ (0.42)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.05	$ 3.36	$ 1.44	$ 1.10	$ 0.91	$ 0.92	$ 1.28	$ 1.10	$ 7.94	$ 4.21	$ (0.42)
Pre-tax gain (loss) on dispositions	$ 379	$ 722							$ 1,100
Gain (loss) on disposition of business, net of tax	$ 297	$ 521

Condensed Consolidating Finan92

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 22, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 18, 2015	May 26, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Ownership interest of subsidiary	100.00%
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount			$ 2,000,000,000	$ 2,000,000,000
Senior Notes | 2.95% Senior Notes, due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount		$ 500,000,000
Interest rate	2.95%	2.95%
Senior Notes | 4.0% Senior Notes, due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount					$ 700,000,000
Interest rate	4.00%				4.00%
Senior Notes | 2.5% Senior Notes, due 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount				$ 400,000,000
Interest rate	2.50%			2.50%
Senior Notes | 3.3% Senior Notes, due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount				$ 700,000,000
Interest rate	3.30%			3.30%
Senior Notes | 4.4% Senior Notes, due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount				$ 900,000,000
Interest rate	4.40%			4.40%

Condensed Consolidating Finan93

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,399	$ 1,439	$ 1,482	$ 1,341	$ 1,374	$ 1,324	$ 1,342	$ 1,273	$ 5,661	$ 5,313	$ 5,051
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									1,769	1,700	1,651
Selling and general expenses									1,443	1,550	3,144
Depreciation									85	90	86
Amortization of intangibles									96	67	48
Total expenses									3,393	3,407	4,929
Gain on dispositions									(1,101)	(11)	9
Operating profit	857	1,348	651	512	424	410	582	501	3,369	1,917	113
Interest expense (income), net									181	102	59
Non-operating intercompany transactions									0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									3,188	1,815	54
Provision for taxes on income									960	547	245
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations									2,228	1,268	(191)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations									0	0	18
Gain on sale of discontinued operations									0	0	160
Discontinued operations, net									0	0	178
Net income (loss)	569	923	412	323	276	281	381	329	2,228	1,268	(13)
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									(122)	(112)	(102)
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.	$ 537	$ 892	$ 383	$ 294	$ 248	$ 252	$ 353	$ 303	2,106	1,156	(115)
Comprehensive income (loss)									2,055	1,182	(331)
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									(126)	(115)	(115)
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									(126)	(115)	(115)
Selling and general expenses									0	0	0
Depreciation									0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Total expenses									(126)	(115)	(115)
Gain on dispositions									0	0	0
Operating profit									0	0	0
Interest expense (income), net									0	0	0
Non-operating intercompany transactions									668	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									(668)	0	0
Provision for taxes on income									0	0	0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(2,706)	(1,745)	195
Income (loss) from continuing operations											195
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations											0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations											0
Discontinued operations, net											0
Net income (loss)									(3,374)	(1,745)	195
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									(122)	(112)	(102)
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.									(3,496)	(1,857)	93
Comprehensive income (loss)									(3,374)	(1,741)	195
S&P Global Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									667	624	598
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									109	119	117
Selling and general expenses									113	202	257
Depreciation									38	40	41
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	4
Total expenses									260	361	419
Gain on dispositions									(1,072)	0	3
Operating profit									1,479	263	176
Interest expense (income), net									191	112	66
Non-operating intercompany transactions									356	282	193
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									932	(131)	(83)
Provision for taxes on income									275	(107)	(22)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									2,412	1,473	(443)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(504)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations											18
Gain on sale of discontinued operations											160
Discontinued operations, net											178
Net income (loss)									3,069	1,449	(326)
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.									3,069	1,449	(326)
Comprehensive income (loss)									3,099	1,446	(495)
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									1,513	2,141	2,043
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									451	737	764
Selling and general expenses									243	254	1,975
Depreciation									9	18	17
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Total expenses									703	1,009	2,756
Gain on dispositions									0	0	0
Operating profit									810	1,132	(713)
Interest expense (income), net									0	0	0
Non-operating intercompany transactions									(83)	222	38
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									893	910	(751)
Provision for taxes on income									420	358	16
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									294	272	248
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(519)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations											0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations											0
Discontinued operations, net											0
Net income (loss)									767	824	(519)
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.									767	824	(519)
Comprehensive income (loss)									767	822	(544)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									3,607	2,663	2,525
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									1,335	959	885
Selling and general expenses									1,087	1,094	912
Depreciation									38	32	28
Amortization of intangibles									96	67	44
Total expenses									2,556	2,152	1,869
Gain on dispositions									(29)	(11)	6
Operating profit									1,080	522	650
Interest expense (income), net									(10)	(10)	(7)
Non-operating intercompany transactions									(941)	(504)	(231)
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									2,031	1,036	888
Provision for taxes on income									265	296	251
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											637
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations											0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations											0
Discontinued operations, net											0
Net income (loss)									1,766	740	637
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to S&P Global Inc.									1,766	740	637
Comprehensive income (loss)									$ 1,563	$ 655	$ 513

Condensed Consolidating Finan94

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,392	$ 1,481	$ 2,497	$ 1,542
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,122	991
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes		109
Prepaid and other current assets	150	212
Assets of a business held for sale	7	503
Total current assets	3,671	3,296
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	271	270
Goodwill	2,949	2,882	1,387
Other intangible assets, net	1,506	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other non-current assets	272	213
Total assets	8,669	8,183
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	183	206
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	409	383
Short-term debt	0	143
Income taxes currently payable	95	56
Unearned revenue	1,509	1,421
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	56	121
Other current liabilities	314	372
Liabilities of a business held for sale	45	206
Total current liabilities	2,611	2,908
Long-term debt	3,564	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	274	276
Other non-current liabilities	439	368
Total liabilities	6,888	7,020
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	1,080	920
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	502	475
Retained income	9,210	7,636
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(773)	(600)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,701)	(7,729)
Total equity – controlling interests	650	194
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	51	49
Total equity	701	243	539	1,344
Total liabilities and equity	8,669	8,183
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		0
Intercompany receivable	(1,542)	(3,353)
Deferred income taxes		0
Prepaid and other current assets	(1)	(1)
Assets of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	(1,543)	(3,354)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		0
Goodwill	9	9
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(13,970)	(12,626)
Intercompany loans receivable	(1,371)	(2,117)
Other non-current assets	0	0
Total assets	(16,875)	(18,088)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,541)	(3,354)
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	0	0
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Unearned revenue	0	(1)
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements		0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,541)	(3,355)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(1,371)	(2,117)
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	(1)	0
Total liabilities	(2,913)	(5,472)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	1,080	920
Equity:
Common stock	(2,460)	(2,337)
Additional paid-in capital	(10,963)	(10,694)
Retained income	(1,721)	(609)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	44	44
Less: common stock in treasury	7	12
Total equity – controlling interests	(15,093)	(13,584)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	51	48
Total equity	(15,042)	(13,536)
Total liabilities and equity	(16,875)	(18,088)
S&P Global Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	711	167	1,402	685
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	138	116
Intercompany receivable	(165)	208
Deferred income taxes		75
Prepaid and other current assets	77	120
Assets of a business held for sale	0	4
Total current assets	761	690
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	159	141
Goodwill	261	17
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	5,464	4,651
Intercompany loans receivable	17	16
Other non-current assets	134	67
Total assets	6,796	5,582
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	73	71
Intercompany payable	1,324	2,144
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	129	127
Short-term debt		143
Income taxes currently payable	43	1
Unearned revenue	273	254
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	2	0
Other current liabilities	163	190
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	80
Total current liabilities	2,007	3,010
Long-term debt	3,564	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	11	21
Pension and other postretirement benefits	196	230
Other non-current liabilities	52	(25)
Total liabilities	5,830	6,704
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	(174)	(184)
Retained income	9,721	6,701
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(292)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,701)	(7,729)
Total equity – controlling interests	966	(1,122)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		0
Total equity	966	(1,122)
Total liabilities and equity	6,796	5,582
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	131	319
Intercompany receivable	837	1,872
Deferred income taxes		10
Prepaid and other current assets	2	13
Assets of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	970	2,214
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	1	3
Goodwill	0	40
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	680	659
Intercompany loans receivable	0	368
Other non-current assets	24	19
Total assets	1,675	3,303
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	22	54
Intercompany payable	40	675
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	69	89
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Unearned revenue	191	586
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	3	115
Other current liabilities	(54)	(50)
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	271	1,469
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	74	98
Total liabilities	345	1,567
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	1,154	1,179
Retained income	176	557
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Less: common stock in treasury	0	0
Total equity – controlling interests	1,330	1,736
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		0
Total equity	1,330	1,736
Total liabilities and equity	1,675	3,303
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,681	1,314	$ 1,095	$ 857
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	853	556
Intercompany receivable	870	1,273
Deferred income taxes		24
Prepaid and other current assets	72	80
Assets of a business held for sale	7	499
Total current assets	3,483	3,746
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	111	126
Goodwill	2,679	2,816
Other intangible assets, net	1,506	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	7,826	7,316
Intercompany loans receivable	1,354	1,733
Other non-current assets	114	127
Total assets	17,073	17,386
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	88	81
Intercompany payable	177	535
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	211	167
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	52	55
Unearned revenue	1,045	582
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	51	6
Other current liabilities	205	232
Liabilities of a business held for sale	45	126
Total current liabilities	1,874	1,784
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	1,360	2,096
Pension and other postretirement benefits	78	46
Other non-current liabilities	314	295
Total liabilities	3,626	4,221
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	2,460	2,337
Additional paid-in capital	10,485	10,174
Retained income	1,034	987
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(525)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(7)	(12)
Total equity – controlling interests	13,447	13,164
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		1
Total equity	13,447	13,165
Total liabilities and equity	$ 17,073	$ 17,386

Condensed Consolidating Finan95

Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 569	$ 923	$ 412	$ 323	$ 276	$ 281	$ 381	$ 329	$ 2,228	$ 1,268	$ (13)
Less: income from discontinued operations									0	0	178
Net income (loss) from continuing operations									2,228	1,268	(191)
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation									85	90	86
Amortization of intangibles									96	67	48
Provision for losses on accounts receivable									9	8	11
Deferred income taxes									79	280	(245)
Stock-based compensation									76	78	100
Gain on dispositions									(1,101)	(11)	9
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									54	119	1,587
Other									30	57	71
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable									(177)	(118)	(9)
Prepaid and other current assets									(2)	(4)	(7)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses									(26)	(92)	(130)
Unearned revenue									107	129	78
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									(150)	(1,624)	(35)
Other current liabilities									(21)	(78)	(16)
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes									132	61	(93)
Net change in other assets and liabilities									45	(35)	(55)
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations									1,464	195	1,209
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures									(115)	(139)	(92)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired									(177)	(2,396)	(71)
Proceeds from dispositions									1,498	14	83
Changes in short-term investments									(1)	(4)	15
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations									1,205	(2,525)	(65)
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net									(143)	143	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net									493	2,674	0
Payments on senior notes									(421)	0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders									(380)	(363)	(326)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests									(116)	(104)	(84)
Repurchase of treasury shares									(1,123)	(974)	(362)
Exercise of stock options									88	86	193
Contingent consideration payments									(39)	(5)	(11)
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares									0	(16)	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments									41	69	128
Intercompany financing activities									0	0	0
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations									(1,600)	1,510	(462)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations									(158)	(67)	(65)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations									911	(887)	617
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities									0	(129)	18
Cash provided by investing activities									0	0	320
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations									0	(129)	338
Net change in cash and cash equivalents									911	(1,016)	955
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				1,481				2,497	1,481	2,497	1,542
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2,392				1,481				2,392	1,481	2,497
Eliminations
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)									(3,374)	(1,745)	195
Less: income from discontinued operations											0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations											195
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation									0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable									0	0	0
Deferred income taxes									0	0	0
Stock-based compensation									0	0	0
Gain on dispositions									0	0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									0	0	0
Other									0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable									0	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets									0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses									0	0	0
Unearned revenue									0	0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									0	0	0
Other current liabilities									0	0	0
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes									0	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities									0	0	0
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations									(3,374)	(1,745)	195
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures									0	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired									0	0	0
Proceeds from dispositions									0	0	0
Changes in short-term investments									0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations									0	0	0
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net									0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net									0	0
Payments on senior notes									0
Dividends paid to shareholders									0	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares									0	0	0
Exercise of stock options									0	0	0
Contingent consideration payments									0	0	0
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares										0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments									0	0	0
Intercompany financing activities									3,374	1,745	(195)
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations									3,374	1,745	(195)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations									0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations										0	0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities										0	0
Cash provided by investing activities											0
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations										0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents									0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0				0				0	0	0
S&P Global Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)									3,069	1,449	(326)
Less: income from discontinued operations											178
Net income (loss) from continuing operations											(504)
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation									38	40	41
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	4
Provision for losses on accounts receivable									1	1	0
Deferred income taxes									16	33	42
Stock-based compensation									22	23	31
Gain on dispositions									(1,072)	0	3
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									3	0	0
Other									48	23	18
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable									(24)	3	(11)
Prepaid and other current assets									(9)	(13)	(42)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses									(53)	(75)	(83)
Unearned revenue									19	(5)	8
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									0	0	0
Other current liabilities									(29)	(32)	(51)
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes									99	(54)	13
Net change in other assets and liabilities									(9)	78	(131)
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations									2,119	1,471	(662)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures									(68)	(67)	(26)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired									(144)	(2,243)	0
Proceeds from dispositions									1,422	0	63
Changes in short-term investments									0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations									1,210	(2,310)	37
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net									(143)	143
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net									493	2,674
Payments on senior notes									(421)
Dividends paid to shareholders									(380)	(363)	(326)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares									(1,123)	(974)	(362)
Exercise of stock options									86	80	184
Contingent consideration payments									(5)	(5)	0
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares										0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments									41	69	128
Intercompany financing activities									(1,333)	(2,020)	1,377
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations									(2,785)	(396)	1,001
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations									0	0	3
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations										(1,235)	379
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities										0	18
Cash provided by investing activities											320
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations										0	338
Net change in cash and cash equivalents									544	(1,235)	717
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				167				1,402	167	1,402	685
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	711				167				711	167	1,402
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)									767	824	(519)
Less: income from discontinued operations											0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations											(519)
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation									9	18	17
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable									0	1	5
Deferred income taxes									(9)	290	(272)
Stock-based compensation									17	24	34
Gain on dispositions									0	0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									1	110	1,587
Other									5	16	39
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable									187	(27)	47
Prepaid and other current assets									10	14	(17)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses									(39)	(34)	(47)
Unearned revenue									(395)	66	26
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									(108)	(1,624)	(35)
Other current liabilities									(27)	(35)	45
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes									0	0	3
Net change in other assets and liabilities									38	8	5
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations									456	(349)	918
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures									(15)	(10)	(14)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired									0	0	0
Proceeds from dispositions									0	0	0
Changes in short-term investments									0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations									(15)	(10)	(14)
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net									0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net									0	0
Payments on senior notes									0
Dividends paid to shareholders									0	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares									0	0	0
Exercise of stock options									0	0	0
Contingent consideration payments									0	0	0
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares										0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments									0	0	0
Intercompany financing activities									(441)	359	(904)
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations									(441)	359	(904)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations									0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations										0	0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities										0	0
Cash provided by investing activities											0
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations										0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents									0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0				0				0	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)									1,766	740	637
Less: income from discontinued operations											0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations											637
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation									38	32	28
Amortization of intangibles									96	67	44
Provision for losses on accounts receivable									8	6	6
Deferred income taxes									72	(43)	(15)
Stock-based compensation									37	31	35
Gain on dispositions									(29)	(11)	6
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									50	9	0
Other									(23)	18	14
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable									(340)	(94)	(45)
Prepaid and other current assets									(3)	(5)	52
Accounts payable and accrued expenses									66	17	0
Unearned revenue									483	68	44
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements									(42)	0	0
Other current liabilities									35	(11)	(10)
Net change in prepaid / accrued income taxes									33	115	(109)
Net change in other assets and liabilities									16	(121)	71
Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations									2,263	818	758
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures									(32)	(62)	(52)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired									(33)	(153)	(71)
Proceeds from dispositions									76	14	20
Changes in short-term investments									(1)	(4)	15
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities from continuing operations									10	(205)	(88)
Financing Activities:
(Payments on) / additions to short-term debt, net									0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net									0	0
Payments on senior notes									0
Dividends paid to shareholders									0	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests									(116)	(104)	(84)
Repurchase of treasury shares									0	0	0
Exercise of stock options									2	6	9
Contingent consideration payments									(34)	0	(11)
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares										(16)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments									0	0	0
Intercompany financing activities									(1,600)	(84)	(278)
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations									(1,748)	(198)	(364)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations									(158)	(67)	(68)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations										348	238
Discontinued Operations:
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities										(129)	0
Cash provided by investing activities											0
Cash (used for) provided by discontinued operations										(129)	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents									367	219	238
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				$ 1,314				$ 1,095	1,314	1,095	857
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 1,681				$ 1,314				$ 1,681	$ 1,314	$ 1,095

Schedule II - Valuation and Q96

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - Allowance for doubtful accounts - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Valuation Allowances [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 37	$ 38	$ 50
Net charges to income	8	12	2
Deductions and other	(17)	(13)	(14)
Balance at end of year	$ 28	$ 37	$ 38