Moody's (MCO) stock
Financials · Financial Exchanges & Data
Moody's (MCO) is a Financial Exchanges & Data company in the Financials sector, headquartered in New York City, New York. As of October 23, 2026, MCO closed at $483.45, a market capitalization of $83.36 billion, the 149th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $8.18 billion in revenue (+1% year over year) and $2.97 billion in free cash flow. The stock trades at 28.9x trailing earnings and 25.9x forward earnings.
- 1-year total return: +1.7% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: +5.7% a year
- 52-week range: $402.28 – $546.88
- Gross margin 74.6%, operating margin 46.3%
- Dividend yield: 0.85%, 16 straight years of increases
- FI Handbook report card: B- across 10 metrics
- 27th largest of 76 Financials stocks in the S&P 500
MCO price chart
1Y price change: +0.9% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCO | +2.0% | -4.7% | +1.7% | +17.0% | +5.7% | +17.9% | +14.5% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 1994.
MCO key statistics
- Market cap
- $83.4B
- #149 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- 28.9x
- Forward P/E
- 25.9x
- EPS (TTM)
- $16.73
- Revenue (TTM)
- $8.2B
- +1%
- Free cash flow
- $3.0B
- Gross margin
- 74.6%
- Operating margin
- 46.3%
- Return on equity
- 76.7%
- Dividend yield
- 0.85%
- 52-week range
- $402.28 – $546.88
- Beta
- 1.35
- Price / sales
- 10.2x
- EV / EBITDA
- 22.1x
- Debt / equity
- 2.23x
- Employees
- 15,636
MCO report card
B-Ten fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth0.8%D
- Gross margin74.6%A
- Operating margin46.3%A
- FCF margin36.3%A
- Return on equity76.7%A
- Net debt / EBITDA1.5xC
- Forward P/E25.9xC
- PEG ratio1.6xC
- Shareholder yield2.8%C
- Share count change / yr-1.0%B
Moody's financials
Revenue went from $3.6B in fiscal 2016 to $7.7B in fiscal 2025, growing 8.8% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.6B | $4.2B | $4.4B | $4.8B | $5.4B | $6.2B | $5.5B | $5.9B | $7.1B | $7.7B |
| Gross profit | — | $3.0B | $3.2B | $3.4B | $3.9B | $4.6B | $3.9B | $4.2B | $5.1B | $5.7B |
| Operating income | $650.9M | $1.8B | $1.9B | $2.0B | $2.4B | $2.8B | $1.9B | $2.1B | $2.9B | $3.4B |
| Net income | $266.6M | $1.0B | $1.3B | $1.4B | $1.8B | $2.2B | $1.4B | $1.6B | $2.1B | $2.5B |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.36 | $5.15 | $6.74 | $7.42 | $9.39 | $11.78 | $7.44 | $8.73 | $11.26 | $13.67 |
| Free cash flow | $1.1B | $664.0M | $1.4B | $1.6B | $2.0B | $1.9B | $1.2B | $1.9B | $2.5B | $2.6B |
| Buybacks | $738.8M | $200.0M | $203.0M | $991.0M | $503.0M | $750.0M | $983.0M | $490.0M | $1.3B | $1.6B |
| Dividends paid | $285.1M | $290.4M | $337.2M | $378.0M | $420.0M | $463.0M | $515.0M | $564.0M | $620.0M | $701.0M |
| Diluted shares | 195.4M | 194.2M | 194.4M | 191.6M | 189.3M | 187.9M | 184.7M | 184.0M | 182.7M | 179.9M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into MCO?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $89.4B and $3.0B of trailing free cash flow, Moody's needs to grow free cash flow about 21.0% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return. For context, free cash flow grew 4.7% a year over the last five years.
P/E ratio history
Current 35.4x vs. median 26.3x (10th–90th percentile 14.3x–48.7x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
MCO dividend
- Dividend yield
- 0.85%
- Annual dividend
- $4.12
- Years of increases
- 16
- 5-yr dividend growth
- 10.9%
- per year
- Payout ratio
- 25%
- Payments per year
- 4
Regular dividends per share by calendar year; special dividends excluded. Current year omitted until complete.
MCO analyst price targets
21 analysts' average 12-month target is $552.14 (+14% vs. $483.45). Targets range from $480.00 to $600.00. 75% rate it a buy.
MCO earnings
Next report: February 17, 2027.
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2026 | $4.25 | $4.14 | -2.5% |
| Jul 22, 2026 | $4.25 | $4.68 | +10.0% |
| Apr 22, 2026 | $4.22 | $4.33 | +2.6% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | $3.44 | $3.64 | +6.0% |
| Oct 22, 2025 | $3.68 | $3.92 | +6.4% |
| Jul 23, 2025 | $3.39 | $3.56 | +5.0% |
| Apr 22, 2025 | $3.54 | $3.83 | +8.2% |
| Feb 13, 2025 | $2.58 | $2.62 | +1.6% |
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MCO news
- How Earnings Beat At Moody's (MCO) Has Changed Its Investment Story · Oct 25, 2026
- Moody's (MCO) Stock Looks Above Fair Value After A 64% Rise · Oct 25, 2026
- France’s latest debt warning describes a country where governance is breaking down — and even doing too little, too late is barely possible · Oct 24, 2026
- Moody’s affirms Chile at A2 with stable outlook on growth, fiscal discipline · Oct 23, 2026
- MCO Q3 deep dive: AI infrastructure and analytics drive segment divergence, guidance slightly raised · Oct 22, 2026
MCO stock FAQ
What is MCO's market cap?
Moody's's market capitalization is $83.36 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 149th in the S&P 500.
What is MCO's P/E ratio?
MCO trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 28.9x and a forward P/E of 25.9x. Its median P/E over the period we track is 26.2x.
Does MCO pay a dividend?
Yes. Moody's pays $4.12 per share a year, a 0.85% yield. It has raised its dividend 16 years in a row. Dividends grew 10.9% a year over the last five years.
How much has MCO stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, MCO returned +1.7% over one year, +5.7% a year over five years, +17.9% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is MCO stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies Moody's must grow free cash flow about 21% a year for the next decade. Its free cash flow grew 5% a year over the last five years. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
What is the MCO price target?
21 analysts cover MCO with an average 12-month price target of $552.14, +14% from the current price. 75% of them rate it a buy.
When does MCO report earnings?
Moody's is expected to report earnings on February 17, 2027.
How many employees does Moody's have?
Moody's has about 15,636 full-time employees, or $522,896 of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology