NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO – Free Report) by 91.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,217 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 22,612 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $1,017,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MCO. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its position in shares of Moody’s by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,440 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,810,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its position in Moody’s by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 623 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co lifted its position in Moody’s by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 1,706 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $775,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Moody’s by 87.1% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 58 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Smith Salley Wealth Management boosted its stake in Moody’s by 0.3% during the first quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 10,832 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,726,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.11% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages have weighed in on MCO. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $521.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Moody’s from $570.00 to $555.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Moody’s from $557.00 to $593.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Moody’s from $557.00 to $572.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $600.00 price target (up from $565.00) on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $555.74.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on MCO
Moody’s Price Performance
MCO opened at $484.30 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $477.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $466.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $83.88 billion, a PE ratio of 30.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.35. Moody’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $402.28 and a 1 year high of $546.88.
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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.42. Moody’s had a net margin of 34.25% and a return on equity of 80.35%. The company had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.56 EPS. Moody’s’s revenue was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Moody’s Corporation will post 16.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Moody’s Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Moody’s’s payout ratio is 26.13%.
Moody’s News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Moody’s shares surged in after-hours trading, adding approximately $3 billion to the company’s market capitalization. The move indicates strong near-term investor demand, although the report did not identify a specific fundamental catalyst. Moody’s Surges 4% After Hours, Adding Roughly $3 Billion in Market Cap
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target to $555 from $570 but maintained an Overweight rating. The revised target still implies meaningful upside from the referenced trading level, suggesting the bank remains constructive on Moody’s long-term earnings outlook. JPMorgan Adjusts Price Target on Moody’s to $555 From $570
- Neutral Sentiment: Moody’s is scheduled to report quarterly results on Wednesday. The event is a near-term catalyst, with investors focused on whether revenue growth, credit-market activity and the company’s full-year earnings guidance support current valuation levels. Moody’s Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday
- Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated a Hold rating, reflecting a more balanced view of the stock’s valuation and growth prospects. Moody’s Gets a Hold from Morgan Stanley
- Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets issued a pessimistic forecast for MCO, adding pressure to the outlook as investors assess whether the stock’s premium valuation is justified. BMO Capital Markets Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Moody’s Stock Price
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks said Moody’s lacks the preferred combination of factors for a likely earnings beat in the upcoming report, raising the risk of a disappointing result or cautious guidance. Moody’s Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
Insider Transactions at Moody’s
In other news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $484.30, for a total value of $710,468.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,964 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,166,165.20. This represents a 2.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.
Moody’s Profile
Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is a global provider of credit ratings, research, data, and analytical tools. Through Moody’s Ratings, the company evaluates the creditworthiness of companies, governments, financial institutions, and structured finance securities, offering opinions and research used by investors, issuers, and other market participants.
Through Moody’s Analytics, the company provides financial intelligence, economic research, risk assessment tools, data, and software. Its products support credit and market risk management, compliance, portfolio analysis, lending, insurance, and corporate planning.
Moody’s traces its origins to 1909, when John Moody published an analysis of railroad securities.
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