IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions, today announced that it is using advanced analytics to more than double the number of companies covered by its Dividend Forecasting Service. The expanded service now covers an unparalleled 28,000 stocks in more than 90 markets worldwide and provides up to five years of dividend forecast data for each stock covered.

“Combining cutting edge analytics with our dividend forecasting expertise developed over more than 15 years offers index providers, derivatives desks, asset managers and hedge funds access to the broadest set of dividend forecasts available today for large-, mid- and small-cap stocks globally, including frontier markets,” said Alessandro Ferretti, head of Dividend Products at IHS Markit. “Our recognized, bottom-up research methodology will still be applied, but our 40 expert forecasters will be able to strengthen their fundamental analysis using augmented intelligence and quantitative insights produced by our model.”

The model which enables the expanded dividend coverage was developed in partnership with the data science team at IHS Markit. It uses advanced machine learning to apply the proven forecasting methodologies used by the Dividends team at significant scale and scope to process a large, dynamic range of inputs and proxies, including company guidance, historical patterns, industry and peer group trends, consensus forecasts and unique datasets from IHS Markit.

“Using machine learning, advanced statistical modelling and time series analysis techniques to uncover patterns in multiple datasets helps us dramatically expand coverage and also retain the analytical rigor our Dividends team has developed over many years,” said Yaacov Mutnikas, chief data scientist and chief technology officer at IHS Markit.

The expanded Dividend Forecasting service, available now, covers 28,000 large-, mid- and small-cap companies in developed, emerging and frontier markets.