Mizuho Increases Moody's (NYSE:MCO) Price Target to $532.00

Key Points

• Mizuho raised its price target for Moody's from $496.00 to $532.00, suggesting a potential upside of 3.27% from the last closing price.
• Other analysts have provided varying outlooks, with Barclays setting a price target of $580.00 and Royal Bank Of Canada at $550.00, contributing to a consensus target price of $538.80.
• Moody's reported quarterly earnings of $3.56 EPS, which surpassed the consensus estimate of $3.39, and revenues of $1.90 billion for the period.
• Insider trading activity includes CEO Robert Fauber selling 415 shares at an average price of $503.40, reducing his stake by 0.67% but still maintaining a significant holding.

Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Mizuho from $496.00 to $532.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the business services provider's stock. Mizuho's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 3.27% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Moody's from $520.00 to $580.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Moody's in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Moody's in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. They set a "buy" rating and a $530.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Moody's from $509.00 to $534.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Moody's from $525.00 to $552.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Moody's currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $538.80.

Moody's Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of MCO traded up $2.06 on Friday, reaching $515.15. 376,539 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 799,318. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $488.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $475.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70. Moody's has a 12 month low of $378.71 and a 12 month high of $531.93.

Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 23rd. The business services provider reported $3.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.39 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.82 billion. Moody's had a net margin of 29.18% and a return on equity of 60.73%. The firm's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Moody's will post 13.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Moody's news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 415 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $503.40, for a total value of $208,911.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 61,886 shares of the company's stock, valued at $31,153,412.40. This represents a 0.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moody's

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MCO. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Moody's by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 3,571 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,690,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Moody's by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. now owns 741 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $351,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. Summit Financial LLC grew its stake in Moody's by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 1,641 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $777,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Moody's by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 66 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, McLean Asset Management Corp boosted its position in shares of Moody's by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 762 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.11% of the company's stock.

About Moody's

Moody's Corporation operates as an integrated risk assessment firm worldwide. It operates in two segments, Moody's Analytics and Moody's Investors Services. The Moody's Analytics segment develops a range of products and services that support the risk management activities of institutional participants in financial markets.

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