Moody’s Corporation $MCO Shares Sold by Bank of Nova Scotia

Bank of Nova Scotia lessened its stake in shares of Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) by 8.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 81,270 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 7,189 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $35,456,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Moody’s by 87.1% in the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 58 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Moody’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Moody’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in Moody’s in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.11% of the company’s stock.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MCO shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Moody’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Moody’s from $524.00 to $521.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays raised their price objective on Moody’s from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $590.00 to $597.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $500.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $553.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Moody’s news, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.67, for a total value of $71,679.86. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,985 shares in the company, valued at $900,534.95. This represents a 7.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.39, for a total transaction of $684,194.13. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,189 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,067,397.71. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 3,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,495,098 over the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Moody’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCO stock opened at $471.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $82.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.89, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $465.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $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. Moody’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $402.28 and a 12 month high of $546.88.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) 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. The company had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. Moody’s had a return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 34.25%.Moody’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.56 EPS. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Moody’s Corporation will post 16.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Moody’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Moody’s’s payout ratio is presently 29.53%.

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.