Moody's (NYSE:MCO) Price Target Raised to $498.00 at Morgan Stanley

Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $493.00 to $498.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the business services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price indicates a potential downside of 0.90% from the stock's previous close.

MCO has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays lowered their target price on Moody's from $570.00 to $520.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 4th. Mizuho began coverage on Moody's in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $504.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Moody's from $585.00 to $495.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Moody's from $572.00 to $573.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Moody's from $575.00 to $525.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $520.73.

Moody's Trading Down 0.5%

MCO traded down $2.55 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $502.51. 630,296 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 766,312. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $478.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $472.69. Moody's has a 52-week low of $378.71 and a 52-week high of $531.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.40 billion, a PE ratio of 43.39, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.38.

Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $3.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.58 by $0.25. Moody's had a return on equity of 60.37% and a net margin of 29.15%. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.90 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Moody's will post 13.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 415 shares of Moody's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $437.80, for a total transaction of $181,687.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 62,690 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,445,682. This trade represents a 0.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moody's

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC grew its position in Moody's by 1,000.0% in the 1st quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 55 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in shares of Moody's during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its position in shares of Moody's by 42.9% in the 2nd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 80 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Moody's in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Moody's by 5,050.0% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 103 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.11% of the company's stock.

Moody's Company Profile

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.