Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd Increases Stock Holdings in Moody’s Corporation $MCO

Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) by 1.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,122,423 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 20,619 shares during the period. Moody’s comprises about 8.6% of Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $534,812,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rexford Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Moody’s in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Moody’s in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Moody’s in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Moody’s during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in Moody’s during the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 92.11% of the company’s stock.

Moody’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCO opened at $450.09 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $80.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 1.84. Moody’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $378.71 and a 52-week high of $546.88. The company has a fifty day moving average of $498.58 and a 200-day moving average of $494.79.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $3.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.39 by $0.25. Moody’s had a return on equity of 63.58% and a net margin of 29.92%.The business had revenue of $1.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.62 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.400-17.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Moody’s Corporation will post 13.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Moody’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $1.03 dividend. This is an increase from Moody’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Moody’s’s payout ratio is currently 30.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MCO. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $531.00 price target on Moody’s in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Moody’s from $580.00 to $560.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Evercore increased their target price on shares of Moody’s from $540.00 to $620.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Moody’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Moody’s in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $559.75.

More Moody’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Moody’s reported non‑GAAP EPS of $3.64 (vs. consensus ~ $3.39) and revenue of $1.89B, driven by record investor‑services and strong analytics demand; management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $16.40–$17.00, supporting a constructive outlook. Moodys Corp (MCO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenue and Strategic Growth Initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Moody’s raised its quarterly dividend to $1.03 (9.6% increase), payable March 13 with an ex‑dividend date of March 2; this modest yield (≈0.9%) signals confidence in cash flow and returns capital to shareholders.
• Positive Sentiment: New analyst coverage — Bank of America initiated coverage with a Buy and a $550 price target, highlighting upside from current levels and adding institutional endorsement. Analyst initiation — Bank of America buy, $550 PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic expansion — Moody’s opened a regional HQ in Riyadh to deepen Middle East presence as local capital‑markets reforms advance; positive for long‑term growth but a more gradual catalyst. Moody’s Establishes Regional Headquarters in Saudi Arabia, Deepening Presence in Region
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and near‑term expectations — some commentary (and market moves) reflect concerns that the stock already prices in a lot of growth; analysts and commentators warn downside risk if growth or margins slow versus elevated expectations. Moody’s: The Drop Was Expected, Now Looking At 2026

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Moody’s news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 592 shares of Moody’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $516.15, for a total transaction of $305,560.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 61,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,527,474.30. This trade represents a 0.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Moody’s

Moody’s Corporation is a global provider of credit ratings, research, data and analytics that support financial decision-making and transparency in capital markets. The company traces its origins to the early 20th century when financial analyst John Moody began publishing credit information; today Moody’s is headquartered in New York and serves a broad set of market participants including investors, issuers, financial institutions, corporations, governments and regulators.

Moody’s operates primarily through two complementary businesses.