Why Moody's stock moves
Moody's fell, while the S&P 500 rose slightly.
Written after the close on ·
Why today
16,437 news analyzed todayMoody's fell, while the S&P 500 rose slightly.
No company news from that session explains the drop.
Over the last five trading days, Moody's rose slightly, though the S&P 500 fell sharply and the sector ETF rose slightly.
Likely drivers are the stock's own selling pressure and general moves in financial shares, not any specific event.
The next earnings report is due on Wednesday 17 February 2027.
Today's move of −1.88% was 1.4 times a normal day's 1.3%. S&P 500 moved +0.31% on the same day.
Moody's −1.88%S&P 500 +0.31%Against the market
What analysts expect, and how often they have been right
Analysts’ estimates for Moody's.
Moody's earned more than expected in 7 out of 8 reports.
For comparison, about 82% of reports from US companies beat the estimate in the last three years.
The share moved in the same direction as the earnings surprise in 5 out of 8 reports with a measured move, against about 55% of reports from US companies.
Ratings
Price targets
Latest price $505.67
Earnings against expectations, and the share’s reaction
Expected EPSAbove estimateBelow estimateAs expected$
Next reported quarter: expected earnings per share of $3.58 (February 17). For the current fiscal year, expected earnings per share changed from $16.97 three months ago to $16.77 now. 2026 estimate: $16.77. 2027 estimate: $18.62.
Has the share price followed the business?
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years. Across US companies, that happens in about 65% of years. In 2025, the price changed +8% and earnings per share +21%.
Revenue, profit and market cap
RevenueProfitMarket capHatched bars: analysts’ estimates.$B
Assets, liabilities and market cap
AssetsLiabilitiesMarket cap$B
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years.Market cap (Now): $87.2BRevenue 2025: $7.7B
What the key figures say about Moody's
The figures connect what Moody's earns with what investors pay.
The line shows the share price in the same year, on its own scale. Hatched bars: analysts’ estimates.
Profit divided by the number of shares. Each share represents this much of the earnings.
2022–2025: $7.44–$13.67. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange $7.34, CME Group $12.20, S&P Global $16.74. 2026 estimate: $16.77 ($16.53–$16.97). 2027 estimate: $18.62 ($17.08–$19.07).
What the company sold during the year.
2022–2025: $5.5B–$7.7B. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange $10.9B, CME Group $7.0B, S&P Global $16.3B. 2026 estimate: $8.2B ($8.2B–$8.3B). 2027 estimate: $8.8B ($8.4B–$8.9B).
The percentage of revenue left after the costs of running the business.
2022–2025: 36.5%–44.9%. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 41.5%, CME Group 65.7%, S&P Global 42.7%.
Profit as a percentage of shareholders’ money in the company.
2022–2025: 48.4%–60.7%. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 14.4%, CME Group 16.1%, S&P Global 17.9%.
The price investors pay for each unit of annual earnings per share. Not shown for a loss.
2022–2025: 37.4–44.7. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 23.5, CME Group 25.1, S&P Global 27.9. 2026 estimate: 30.1. 2027 estimate: 27.2.
What investors pay for each unit the company sells.
2022–2025: 9.33–12.05. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 8.82, CME Group 15.74, S&P Global 8.32. 2026 estimate: 10.60. 2027 estimate: 9.94.
Money paid to shareholders per share, summed by calendar year.
2017–2025: $1.52–$3.76.
The ordinary yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price.
2022–2025: 0.7%–1.0%. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 1.2%, CME Group 1.7%, S&P Global 0.8%.
Net debt divided by operating earnings before depreciation and amortisation.
2022–2025: 1.26–2.57. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 3.29, CME Group 0.31, S&P Global 1.33.
More key figures
Market cap divided by shareholders’ equity, what remains after liabilities.
2022–2025: 20.26–23.94. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange 3.22, CME Group 4.12, S&P Global 6.88.
Market cap plus net debt, divided by operating earnings. This includes debt.
2022–2025: 28.0–33.9.
Cash left after investments, divided by the number of shares.
2022–2025: $6.50–$14.50. Peers: Intercontinental Exchange $8.64, CME Group $12.11, S&P Global $18.18.
The percentage of assets financed by shareholders’ equity.
2022–2025: 17.6%–25.6%.
The dividend explained
A dividend is money paid to shareholders. Moody's paid $4.03 per share in the twelve months through November 6, 2026.
On the ex-dividend day, August 14, 2026, Moody's traded without the right to the $1.03 dividend. The price went from $488.42 to $484.96; including the dividend, the day's change was −0.5%. Entitlement passes from the company to shareholders on the ex-day; payment comes later.
2017: $1.522018: $1.762019: $2.002020: $2.242021: $2.482022: $2.802023: $3.082024: $3.402025: $3.762026 so far: $3.09
What to watch next, and why
From the ex-day, Moody's trades without entitlement to the next dividend.
- The dividend explained
From the ex-day, Moody's trades without entitlement to the next dividend.
- Earnings report
The earnings report shows how Moody's's revenue and profit have changed.
Add to calendar
Earnings report
Next report: · Add to calendar · Google Calendar
On its last 15 report days Moody's usually moved about 1.8%. On a normal day it moves 1.3%.
+1.20% −0.22% +1.55% +6.51%
$10,000 in Moody's bought on November 7, 2016 is worth $55,900 today, with dividends reinvested.
The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
What would $10,000 in Moody's be worth today? →
What would $10,000 in Moody's be worth today?
$55,900
with dividends reinvested, bought on November 7, 2016. The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
The five biggest days of the journey
· +18.6% · the whole market rose 9.4% the same day
· −13.7% · the whole market fell 5.2% the same day
· −13.0% · the whole market fell 12.0% the same day
· +12.1% · the whole market rose 5.5% the same day
· −11.6% · the whole market fell 7.6% the same day
Earlier days
+2.38% market −2.70% Moody's rose slightly this week. Read →
Moody's rose slightly this week.
The S&P 500 fell sharply, so the stock moved against the market.
Its sector ETF also rose slightly, so Moody's moved a little more than its sector.
The latest close is well below its mid January high and well above its mid February low.
−2.46% market −4.41% Moody's fell sharply. Read →
Moody's fell sharply.
Moody's fell, while the S&P 500 fell very sharply, so it held up better than the market.
The drop moved in line with its sector, the Financial Services ETF, which also fell very sharply.
No company news from that session clearly explains the fall.
Over the last five trading days Moody's rose sharply, against a sharply falling market.
+4.89% market +1.65% Moody's rose very sharply. Read →
Moody's rose very sharply.
Moody's rose, while the S&P 500 rose sharply, so it moved more than the market.
The only company news from that session is an insider's planned sale of 195 shares, a routine filing that probably did not drive the rise.
No company news explains the rise, so the cause is unclear.
Over the last five trading days the shares rose very sharply, against a slightly lower S&P 500.
+2.45% market −0.48% Moody's rose, and that rise is in line with its sector. Read →
Moody's rose, and that rise is in line with its sector.
The S&P 500, a broad index of large US stocks, fell slightly.
Company news from the session is insider share sale filings, which are routine and do not explain a rise.
Over the last five trading days Moody's rose clearly while the S&P 500 fell clearly.
Its next earnings report, its quarterly results, is due Wednesday 17 February 2027.
+1.04% market −1.77% Moody's rose slightly, against a falling market. Read →
Moody's rose slightly, against a falling market.
Trading was about twice normal, but the move was an ordinary one for the stock.
No company news from that session explains the move.
Over the last five trading days the shares rose slightly while the S&P 500 fell slightly.
Insider share sales were reported after the session closed, but they are background, not a cause.
+2.16% market −0.56% Moody's rose slightly over the week's trading days, moving against a slightly falling S&P 500 and a slightly rising financial sector. Read →
Moody's rose slightly over the week's trading days, moving against a slightly falling S&P 500 and a slightly rising financial sector.
The move was ordinary for the stock, and trading was heavier than usual.
Company news in the week was mostly about rating decisions and a regulatory fine in Dubai, and these are unlikely to have driven the share price much.
Its shares also trade well above their lowest close of the past year but below the highest, mid-January.
+2.42% market −0.38% Moody's rose sharply. Read →
Moody's rose sharply.
The likely driver is a Moody's Ratings note giving Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin investment-grade marks of A2 and P-1, a rating that is a credit view on the token's reserves rather than a company deal.
Moody's shares have been roughly unchanged over the last five trading days, moving less than both the market and its sector.
The company's latest quarterly report last week came in about in line with expectations, and its next earnings report is on Wednesday 17 February 2027.
+0.69% market +0.34% Moody's rose with the market. Read →
Moody's rose with the market.
Over the same day the S&P 500 also rose slightly, so the move was in line with the market.
Over the last five trading days the stock was roughly unchanged, as was the market and its sector.
The move was an ordinary one for Moody's, within its usual daily range.
+0.21% market +0.71% Moody's was roughly unchanged, without company news. Read →
Moody's was roughly unchanged, without company news.
Over the last five trading days the stock was roughly flat, as the broader market was.
The stock lagged the market's rise in the last session, partly because Moody's guided to a full-year profit range that investors may have seen as modest.
Its third-quarter report came out last week and earnings were about in line with expectations.
The next earnings report is due on Wednesday, 17 February 2027.
−1.55% market −0.52% Moody's fell clearly, mainly with the broad market. Read →
Moody's fell clearly, mainly with the broad market.
Over the same day the S&P 500 also fell clearly, so the move was largely in line with the market.
Financial Services sector stocks fell sharply, so the drop matched its sector too.
Over the last five trading days the stock was roughly unchanged, while the market slipped slightly.
No company news from the last session clearly explains the drop; the most likely driver was the wider sell-off in stocks.
−0.33% market −0.43% Moody's was roughly unchanged over the last five trading days, moving less than both the market and its sector. Read →
Moody's was roughly unchanged over the last five trading days, moving less than both the market and its sector.
Its third-quarter results, released this week, were close to expectations: revenue rose only slightly, while profit per share grew faster.
Analysts were mixed; Wells Fargo lowered its price target, the share price it sees as fair, to $595.
The S&P 500 fell slightly over the same days, so Moody's held up better than the broader market.
+2.08% market −1.18% Moody's rose clearly, while the S&P 500 fell sharply. Read →
Moody's rose clearly, while the S&P 500 fell sharply.
Wells Fargo lowered its price target, the share price it sees as fair, to $595, which shows some analyst caution.
The rise was likely driven more by investors favouring its steady business than by the weak market.
Trading volume was around its usual level.
The shares stayed well above their lowest close of the past year but below their highest, set in mid January.
+0.29% market −1.11% Moody's rose slightly on an analyst price-target cut. Read →
Moody's rose slightly on an analyst price-target cut.
Over the last five trading days Moody's rose clearly, moving against a falling S&P 500 and ahead of its sector.
The move was an ordinary one for the stock.
The cut is a modest negative signal, yet the shares stayed firm, which suggests investors are weighing the stock's steady quality more heavily.
+4.49% market −1.97% Moody's, the credit rating and financial data company, rose clearly over the last five trading days while the broader market fell clearly, so it moved against the market and outpaced its sector, which also rose. Read →
Moody's, the credit rating and financial data company, rose clearly over the last five trading days while the broader market fell clearly, so it moved against the market and outpaced its sector, which also rose.
Other items were product and partnership news, such as the EDF-X private credit model with Allvue Systems, which tends to matter more for long-term growth than for a single week's price.
Next, watch the earnings report scheduled for 21 October 2026, which is likely to be the biggest driver of the stock's direction in the coming weeks.
+4.52% market +0.28% Moody's rose sharply, outpacing both the broader market and its sector, which also gained. Read →
Moody's rose sharply, outpacing both the broader market and its sector, which also gained.
The move appears to be stock-specific rather than market-driven, since the S&P 500 was roughly flat over the last five trading days while Moody's rose clearly.
Its most likely driver is the launch of the Moody's Analytics EDF-X Private Credit Model with Allvue Systems, a forward-looking tool that estimates credit defaults in private lending, a fast-growing market that the company expects could approach US$4 trillion by 2030.
Investors are also looking ahead to the September-quarter earnings release on 21 October, the next major catalyst.
Learn more · Why do stocks go up and down?