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Moodys Corporation(MCO)

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ADVISORIES YOU CAN VERIFY
QUALITY SIGNAL
1-STAR RATING
PASS
LAST CLOSE
$468.7
09/25/2026
(24-hour delay)

Advisory History & Simulated Performance *

*as per simulation (see disclosures)
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Upturn Advisory & Investor View for MCO

09/25/2026: MCO (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.

Moody's Corporation is a leading provider of credit ratings and financial risk analytics, operating as a key infrastructure player in global debt markets. The company benefits from a powerful, recurring revenue model in its analytics business and a dominant position in credit ratings, which provides high margins. Its primary growth opportunity lies in the expansion of AI-driven tools and sustainability data, though it faces risks related to bond market cyclicality and potential regulatory shifts. Moody's is well-suited for investors seeking stability and dividend growth, though they should monitor valuation multiples and bond issuance trends as key indicators of performance.

How to Read the Upturn Advisory

The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.

Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.

Investor Fit

Investor styleFitWhy
Growth investorStrong fitThe company consistently grows its analytics revenue and expands its digital product offerings.
Momentum investorMixed fitStock performance is often tied to interest rate environments and bond market volatility.
Value investorMixed fitThe stock often trades at a premium valuation due to its high-quality, recurring business model.
Dividend investorStrong fitMoody's provides reliable, growing dividends supported by strong free cash flow.
Low-risk investorStrong fitIts dominant market position provides relative stability compared to more volatile growth stocks.

Risk Profile

Risk factorLevelWhy it matters
Price volatilityMediumThe stock price is sensitive to macroeconomic cycles and bond market issuance volumes.
Valuation riskMedium / highThe market often assigns a high multiple to Moody's due to its quality and market leadership.
Competition risk (data/analytics competition)MediumIntense competition from financial data providers could pressure margins in the Analytics division.
Business qualityStrongThe company operates with high margins and a powerful, defensible market position.
Dividend incomeLowWhile consistent, the dividend yield is relatively low compared to high-yield sectors.
Execution riskLowThe company has a long track record of integrating acquisitions and managing operational risks.

Price Behavior

Flat / Range-Bound
PRICE PATH

Flat / Range-Bound

The stock price has been trading within a narrow range with minimal directional movement.

Moderately Choppy
PRICE STABILITY

Moderately Choppy

The stock has experienced noticeable price swings while retaining some directional structure.

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -10%
Avg. Invested days 38
Today’s Advisory PASS
Upturn Advisory Rating upturn star rating icon
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance icon 2.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance icon 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulation icon Profits based on simulation
Upturn last close icon Last Close 09/25/2026

Upturn Scorecard

Upturn Star Rating

★★★★★
MCO receives a 4-star rating, supported by strong unit economics, solid company fundamentals, solid quantitative characteristics, and solid analyst coverage. The rating is constrained by weak price momentum.

Company Fundamentals

★★★★★
MCO has solid overall fundamentals (4 stars), with strong financial health, solid growth momentum, and strong ownership. In FY2025 versus FY2024, solid earnings growth (+19.5%) and strong cash generation (FCF margin 33.4%) are partially offset by moderate revenue growth (+8.9%).

Financial Health Rating

★★★★★
MCO's financial health is supported by strong cash strength, including free-cash-flow generation of $2.6B (33.4% of revenue). Operating efficiency is solid (4 stars), which helps explain the 5-star overall score.

Growth Momentum Score

★★★★★
Earnings growth is MCO's strongest growth driver at +19.5% FY2025 versus FY2024 (solid, 4 stars). Revenue growth (+8.9%, moderate) and free-cash-flow growth (+2.1%, moderate) are also constructive, though not equally high across every growth measure.

Ownership

★★★★★
Institutional ownership is 78.9% and approximately 91.5% of outstanding shares are publicly tradable, supporting liquidity and institutional participation. Insider ownership of 14.38% supports management-shareholder alignment.

Top 5 Institutional Investors

Berkshire Hathaway Inc 14.25%
TCI Fund Management Limited 8.28%
BlackRock Inc 7.58%
Vanguard Capital Management, LLC 5.71%
State Street Corp 4.12%

Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)

★★★★★
MCO generates approximately $682 of gross profit, $448 of operating income, and $334 of free cash flow for every $1,000 of revenue. Based on FY2025 results. Strong margins, cash conversion, and capital efficiency support the rating.

Economic Dimensions

★★★★★
Effective Tax Rate: 21.34%

Quantitative Style Profile

★★★★★
MCO has a high-quality, large-cap, liquid profile. Weak momentum is the primary drawback, while valuation that is moderately attractive rather than deeply discounted.

Style Classification

Quality Focused

Quality TiltHigh VolatilityLarge / Mega Cap StabilityHighly Liquid / Institution-Friendly

Key Highlights

Company Size Large-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 81.17B USD
Price to earnings Ratio 30.12
1Y Target Price 561.9
Price to earnings Ratio 30.12
1Y Target Price 561.9
Volume (30-day avg) 697.3K shares
Beta 1.33
52 Weeks Range 399.61 - 543.25
Updated Date 09/26/2026
52 Weeks Range 399.61 - 543.25
Updated Date 09/26/2026
Dividends yield (FY) 0.84%
Basic EPS (TTM) 15.56

How Company Makes Money

Business areaWhat it includesRetail investor read
Moody's RatingsCredit rating fees from issuers of debt instruments globally.This is the core, high-margin business that charges fees to issuers for assessing creditworthiness.
Moody's AnalyticsSubscriptions for software, research, and data services.This segment provides recurring revenue from banks and corporations needing to manage financial and economic risk.

Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth

Revenue by Products

Product revenue - Year on Year

Revenue by Geography

Geography revenue - Year on Year

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Valuation

Trailing PE 30.12
Forward PE 24.27
Enterprise Value 87.29B
Price to Sales(TTM) 9.95
Enterprise Value 87.29B
Price to Sales(TTM) 9.95
Enterprise Value to Revenue 10.8
Enterprise Value to EBITDA 20.22
Shares Outstanding 173.18M
Shares Floating 158.52M
Shares Outstanding 173.18M
Shares Floating 158.52M
Percent Insiders 14.38
Percent Institutions 78.91

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Financial Metrics

🧭 Investment Snapshot

Total Revenue (Scale)

Information icon Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.

Net Income (Profit)

Information icon Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.

Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)

Information icon Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.

📈 Growth & Strength

Operating Income (Core Profit)

Information icon Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.

EBITDA (Cash Earnings)

Information icon Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.

Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)

Information icon Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.

🛡️ Financial Safety

Cash (Liquidity Buffer)

Information icon Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.

Total Debt (Leverage Risk)

Information icon Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.

Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)

Information icon Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.

🧱 Balance Sheet Strength

Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)

Information icon Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.

Total Assets (Asset Base)

Information icon The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.

Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)

Information icon Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.

⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors

Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)

Information icon Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.

Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)

Information icon Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.

Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)

Information icon Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.

About Moodys Corporation

Exchange NYSE
Headquarters New York, NY, United States
IPO Launch date 2000-10-03
President, CEO & Director Mr. Robert Scott Fauber
Sector Financial Services
Industry Financial Data & Stock Exchanges
Full time employees 16000
Full time employees 16000

Moody's Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated risk assessment firm in the United States, the rest of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Moody's Analytics (MA) and Moody's Investors Service (MIS). The MA segment develops a range of products and services that support the risk management activities of institutional participants in financial markets. This segment also offers credit research, credit models and analytics, economic data and models, and structured finance solutions; data sets on companies and securities; and cloud-based SaaS subscription solutions supporting banking, insurance, and know-your-customer workflows. The MIS segment publishes credit ratings and provides assessment services on various debt obligations, programs and facilities, and entities that issue such obligations, including corporate, financial institution, and governmental obligations, as well as structured finance securities. It also provides ratings, investment research, compliance and third-party risk, supplier risk, trade credit, business intelligence sales and marketing, financial and regulatory reporting, balance sheet management, capital management, credit portfolio management, and model risk and governance solutions; Maxsight, a unified risk platform; lending suite, origination, and monitoring solutions; and property, casualty, and sustainable insurance underwriting solutions. The company serves the financial, banking, insurance, corporate, public, and asset management sectors. The company was formerly known as Dun and Bradstreet Company and changed its name to Moody's Corporation in September 2000. Moody's Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in New York, New York.