S&P Capital IQ
Deep company and deal intelligence — the private-market and credit powerhouse.
At a Glance
- Publisher
- S&P Global Market Intelligence
- Coverage
Public and private company financials, transactions (M&A, PE/VC), credit, ownership, and industry data, with Excel plug-in and screening (verify current counts).
- Access
Paid subscription, priced for institutions.
- Free alternative
- SEC EDGAR filings; Crunchbase (basic) for private companies.
- Regional
Global, with strong private-company and credit coverage.
Our Take
Capital IQ is the workhorse for corporate development, investment banking, and private-market research — its coverage of private companies, transactions, and credit is deeper than most rivals, and its screening and Excel templates are built for deal work. The value is the breadth of company and transaction data in one place. The trade-offs are cost and a data model that rewards knowing where things live. For a research analyst, the transaction comps and private-company financials are the reasons to reach for it. Use it for company, deal, and credit intelligence; verify private-company figures, which can be estimated or stale.
Power Tips
- Build transaction comps with the screening tools rather than assembling deals by hand.
- Use the Excel plug-in for templated company and comps models.
- Treat private-company financials as indicative — confirm against filings where they exist.
Alternatives & Complements
PitchBook, FactSet, Bloomberg Terminal, Orbis
Figures last verified: June 15, 2026