Atria Investments Inc Lowers Stock Holdings in Moody's Corporation $MCO

Key Points

• Atria Investments Inc cut its stake in Moody’s by 29.2% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 8,475 shares valued at about $4.33 million.
• Moody’s reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, posting $4.33 EPS versus the $4.22 estimate, though revenue of $2.08 billion slightly missed forecasts.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share, payable June 5, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $544.29.

Atria Investments Inc reduced its position in Moody's Corporation (NYSE:MCO - Free Report) by 29.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,475 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 3,487 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc's holdings in Moody's were worth $4,330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Moody's in the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,000. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Moody's by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 583 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $298,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Moody's by 2,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 408 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $209,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its stake in Moody's by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 438 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors grew its stake in shares of Moody's by 210.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 1,735 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $886,000 after buying an additional 1,176 shares during the period. 92.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Moody's Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE MCO opened at $428.93 on Friday. Moody's Corporation has a 52-week low of $402.28 and a 52-week high of $546.88. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $445.24 and a 200-day moving average of $474.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.93 billion, a PE ratio of 30.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03.

Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.22 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $2.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.11 billion. Moody's had a net margin of 31.69% and a return on equity of 70.97%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.83 EPS. Moody's has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.400-17.000 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Moody's Corporation will post 16.69 EPS for the current year.

Moody's Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Moody's's payout ratio is presently 29.53%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MCO. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and set a $565.00 price objective on shares of Moody's in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Moody's from $600.00 to $560.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Moody's from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $489.00 price objective on shares of Moody's in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Moody's from $560.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $544.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Moody's

In related news, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 375 shares of Moody's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $456.71, for a total transaction of $171,266.25. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,123,049.89. The trade was a 13.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Robert Fauber sold 5,213 shares of Moody's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $456.71, for a total transaction of $2,380,829.23. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 75,789 shares in the company, valued at $34,613,594.19. The trade was a 6.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 8,680 shares of company stock worth $3,952,188 in the last 90 days. Company 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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