16,900 Shares in Moody's Corporation $MCO Purchased by Castleark Management LLC

Key Points

• Castleark Management initiated a 16,900-share position in Moody’s valued at approximately $7.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.11% of the company.
• Moody’s exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.68 in earnings per share versus the $4.26 consensus and $2.19 billion in revenue, up 15.1% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $16.50–$17.00.
• The stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $553.11, but analysts and market coverage cautioned that Moody’s valuation may be expensive. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share.

Castleark Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Moody's Corporation (NYSE:MCO - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 16,900 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $7,373,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Moody's in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,097,101,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Moody's by 78.3% during the 4th quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 5,703 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,913,000 after buying an additional 2,505 shares in the last quarter. LBP AM SA lifted its holdings in shares of Moody's by 5,179.4% during the 4th quarter. LBP AM SA now owns 38,751 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $19,796,000 after acquiring an additional 38,017 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its holdings in shares of Moody's by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 514,377 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $262,769,000 after acquiring an additional 143,515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PineStone Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Moody's by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,375,768 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,213,661,000 after acquiring an additional 111,725 shares in the last quarter. 92.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Moody's Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:MCO opened at $471.30 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.34. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $465.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $464.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 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 - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.42. The company had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.56 EPS. Moody's has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Moody's Corporation will post 16.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Moody's Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $1.03 dividend. 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 26.13%.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Moody's from $590.00 to $597.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays upped their price objective on Moody's from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Moody's from $530.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Moody's from $489.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $505.00 target price on shares of Moody's in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $553.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 158 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were 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 directly owned 1,985 shares in the company, valued at $900,534.95. This represents a 7.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.67, for a total transaction of $665,533.89. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 52,564 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,846,709.88. The trade was a 2.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,495,098. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Moody's Company 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.

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