S&P Kicks off 150th Anniversary with Commemorative Website

NEW YORK, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking the 150th anniversary of its founding, Standard & Poor's, the world's premier provider of investment research, market indices, credit ratings, financial data, and fixed income research and analysis, today announced the launch of a new website featuring information about its past, present and future.  Direct access to the anniversary website is available through www.sp-150.com or through Standard & Poor's official website, www.standardandpoors.com.

In addition to a digital commemoration, Standard & Poor's is planning a number of anniversary events throughout 2010, including an international conference series on The Future of Global Investing as well as programs for its employees around the world.  Standard & Poor's traces its origins to the publication, in 1860, of The History of Railroads and Canals in the United States by Henry Varnum Poor, an early champion of investor rights and pioneer in the then emerging industry of financial research and reporting.  

The commemorative website augments the interaction between Standard & Poor's, its employees and clients by employing dynamic visuals and an innovative content strategy focusing on the firm's history, its financial market research and people. The site features an interactive timeline that allows end-users to actively engage with historical content from both Standard & Poor's and the larger financial market. Other site features include rotating historical facts about Standard & Poor's as well as recent economic and financial market research provided in a number of formats, including research reports, videos, and podcasts. Video interviews with Standard & Poor's employees are also incorporated to provide a behind-the-scenes look into the company.

"This site is dedicated to the generations of men and women who, as employees, customers and friends have made Standard & Poor's success enduring as a leader in financial information, research and analysis," said Catherine Mathis, senior vice president, Standard & Poor's. "For 15 decades and through even more business cycles, Standard & Poor's has been an important source of financial information, insight and analysis for, literally, millions of investors. Today, with our global network of over 10,000 highly skilled employees we are continuing our early traditions.  Both through our lasting commitment to integrity, transparency, independence and analytical rigor, as well as through our constant search for better and new ways to aid investors, companies, governments and public institutions understand and gain access to markets and investment opportunities around the world."

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With offices in 23 countries and markets, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com. 

SOURCE Standard & Poor's