XML 95 R76.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Equity - Stock Repurchases (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | 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 | $ 147.74 | $ 113.36 | $ 99.00 |
Total cash utilized | $ 26 | $ 1,006 | $ 1,097 | $ 1,002 |
Repurchase of treasury shares |  | $ 1,001 | $ 1,123 | $ 974 |
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) |  | 6,800,000 | 9,700,000 | 10,100,000 |
Remaining shares available under repurchase program (shares) |  | 19,000,000 |  |  |
Stock Repurchases |  |  |  |  |
Share repurchases |  |  |  |  |
Total cash utilized |  | $ 1,001 | $ 1,097 | $ 1,000 |

X
- Definition Maximum number of shares authorized for repurchase under stock repurchase plan as percentage of outstanding common stock. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | spgi_MaximumNumberOfSharesAuthorizedForRepurchaseUnderStockRepurchasePlanAsPercentageOfOutstandingCommonStock
Namespace Prefix: | spgi_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Treasury stock note. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | spgi_TreasuryStockNoteAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | spgi_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityClassOfTreasuryStockLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3291-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of shares authorized to be repurchased by an entity's Board of Directors under a stock repurchase plan. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramNumberOfSharesAuthorizedToBeRepurchased
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The remaining number of shares authorized to be repurchased by an entity's Board of Directors under a stock repurchase plan. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingNumberOfSharesAuthorizedToBeRepurchased
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Total cost of shares repurchased divided by the total number of shares repurchased. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405813&loc=d3e23239-112655 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TreasuryStockAcquiredAverageCostPerShare
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and are being held in treasury. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21463-112644 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TreasuryStockSharesAcquired
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Equity impact of the cost of common and preferred stock that were repurchased during the period. Recorded using the cost method. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21463-112644 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405813&loc=d3e23239-112655 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TreasuryStockValueAcquiredCostMethod
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=spgi_TwoThousandThirteenRepurchaseProgramMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=spgi_StockRepurchasesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |