Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Buys 132,096 Shares of Moody’s Corporation $MCO

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) by 124.5% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 238,234 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 132,096 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $103,930,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Moody’s in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Moody’s during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in Moody’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Moody’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.11% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MCO shares. Weiss Ratings raised Moody’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Moody’s in a research note on Friday, July 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $610.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $505.00 price objective on shares of Moody’s in a report on Thursday. Mizuho cut their target price on Moody’s from $524.00 to $521.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Moody’s from $530.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. One research 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, Moody’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $553.11.

Trending Headlines about Moody’s

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

Insider Activity at Moody’s

In other news, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The stock was 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. This represents a 7.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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 Monday, June 1st. The stock was 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 $23,846,709.88. This 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 sold 3,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,495,098 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Moody’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCO opened at $471.30 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $82.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.34. Moody’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $402.28 and a 1-year high of $546.88. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $465.04 and its 200 day 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.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.56 EPS. The business’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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Moody’s Corporation will post 16.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Moody’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Moody’s’s payout ratio is 26.13%.

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.