Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 16.500-17.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 16.710. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on MCO. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $565.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Moody’s from $491.00 to $496.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays lifted their price target on Moody’s from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Moody’s in a report on Friday, July 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $610.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Moody’s from $489.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Moody’s presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $550.58.

Moody’s Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of Moody’s stock opened at $489.25 on Wednesday. Moody’s has a twelve month low of $402.28 and a twelve month high of $546.88. The stock has a market cap of $85.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $462.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $465.09.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.42. The company had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. Moody’s had a return on equity of 70.97% and a net margin of 31.69%.Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Moody’s will post 16.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Moody’s news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $466.39, for a total value of $684,194.13. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 75,189 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,067,397.71. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Richard G. Steele sold 158 shares of the firm’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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,985 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $900,534.95. The trade was a 7.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,495,098. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Moody’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Moody’s to $600 from $530 and maintained an overweight rating, signaling confidence in the company’s earnings power and upside potential. Benzinga report on JPMorgan price target hike
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary around Q2 suggests stronger global bond issuance volumes, which could support Moody’s ratings and analytics revenue through higher investment-grade, high-yield, and structured-finance activity.
• Positive Sentiment: Several previews ahead of earnings highlight Moody’s as a financially strong company with solid growth prospects, and analysts are broadly bullish on the stock heading into the report. Article on bullish analyst views
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are waiting for Moody’s Q2 2026 earnings, with coverage focusing on whether the company can beat estimates and justify its premium valuation. Seeking Alpha earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Moody’s also issued a warning on rising Indonesia risks despite the country’s 2.85% deficit target, but this looks more like a macro risk update than a company-specific catalyst. Yahoo Finance article on Indonesia risks
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary notes that Moody’s is trading at a rich earnings multiple ahead of its report, which may weigh on the stock if results do not clearly exceed expectations. Motley Fool valuation article

Institutional Trading of Moody’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCO. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Moody’s in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Moody’s during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Moody’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Moody’s in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new position in shares of Moody’s in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 92.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.