Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a report on Thursday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Moody’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $524.00 to $570.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Moody’s from $534.00 to $507.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Moody’s from $540.00 to $620.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Moody’s from $620.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Moody’s has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $560.94.

Moody’s Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of MCO opened at $515.39 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.43, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.45. Moody’s has a twelve month low of $378.71 and a twelve month high of $546.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $509.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $500.38.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,167 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $478.95, for a total value of $558,934.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 61,082 shares in the company, valued at $29,255,223.90. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moody’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCO. Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its position in Moody’s by 0.3% during the second quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 7,400 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,712,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of Moody’s by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 363 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $185,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. DeDora Capital Inc. increased its stake in shares of Moody’s by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 1,315 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $672,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Moody’s by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 753 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $385,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Carnegie Investment Counsel boosted its stake in Moody’s by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 1,081 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. 92.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.