Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its stake in Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO – Free Report) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,699 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,340 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $32,587,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MCO. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Moody’s by 87.1% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 58 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Moody’s in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Moody’s by 1,866.7% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 59 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Moody’s during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Moody’s during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.11% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Moody’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $505.00 price objective on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Moody’s from $557.00 to $572.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $512.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $565.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Moody’s has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $553.11.
Moody’s Stock Down 0.2%
MCO opened at $471.30 on Friday. Moody’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $402.28 and a 1-year high of $546.88. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $465.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $464.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01. The stock has a market cap of $82.34 billion, a PE ratio of 29.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.34.
Moody’s (NYSE:MCO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.42. Moody’s had a return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 34.25%.The business had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.56 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Moody’s Corporation will post 16.8 earnings per share for the current year.
Moody’s Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Moody’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.53%.
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 158 shares of Moody’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.67, for a total transaction of $71,679.86. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,985 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $900,534.95. The trade was a 7.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.67, for a total transaction of $665,533.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 52,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,846,709.88. This trade represents a 2.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 3,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,495,098 in the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Moody’s News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Moody’s latest quarterly report topped expectations, with strong revenue growth and raised guidance helping reinforce the company’s earnings momentum. Moodys Corp (MCO) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and Raised Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Clear Street reiterated its Buy rating on Moody’s, adding to the view that the company’s business remains fundamentally sound after earnings. Clear Street Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Moody’s (MCO)
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces highlighted Moody’s strong Q2 performance and reaffirmed bullish views, citing solid fundamentals and continued earnings strength. Moody’s Corporation: Strong Q2, I Reiterate My Buy Rating As Fundamentals Are Still Sound
- Neutral Sentiment: Moody’s also released its quarterly dividend announcement, which is supportive for income investors but not likely a major near-term stock catalyst. Moody’s Corporation dividend announcement
- Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on valuation, noting that Moody’s may look expensive relative to fair value despite the earnings beat, which could temper upside. Moody’s (MCO) Stock Looks Expensive Relative To Fair Value
- Negative Sentiment: Investor attention is also on broader concerns about valuation after the earnings beat, with some coverage suggesting the stock’s premium pricing may limit further gains. Moody’s (MCO) Earnings Beat Puts Valuation Back In Focus
Moody’s Profile
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.
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