Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Stock Gets Price Target Trim from BMO Capital Markets

16 Oct 2026, 06:50 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO – Free Report) had its price target cut by BMO Capital Markets from $515.00 to $490.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the business services provider’s stock.

MCO has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $570.00 to $588.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Moody’s from $523.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $600.00 target price (up from $565.00) on shares of Moody’s in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on Moody’s from $500.00 to $535.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Moody’s in a report on Friday, July 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $610.00 price target for the company. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Moody’s has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $555.74.

View Our Latest Stock Report on MCO

Moody’s Stock Up 4.7%

Shares of Moody’s stock opened at $484.30 on Tuesday. Moody’s has a one year low of $402.28 and a one year high of $546.88. The company has a market cap of $83.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.71, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $477.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $466.52.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.42. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. Moody’s had a net margin of 34.25% and a return on equity of 80.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.56 earnings per share. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Moody’s will post 16.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Moody’s Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $484.30, for a total value of $710,468.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,964 shares in the company, valued at $25,166,165.20. This trade represents a 2.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCO. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Moody’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Moody’s by 1,866.7% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 59 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Moody’s during the second quarter worth $27,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Moody’s during the second quarter worth $45,000. 92.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Moody’s News

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?

About Moody’s

(Get Free Report)

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.