JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Price Target to $560.00

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) had its target price decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $600.00 to $560.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the business services provider’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 25.92% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. UBS Group set a $490.00 target price on shares of Moody’s in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $574.00 to $540.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets set a $480.00 price target on shares of Moody’s in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho upped their price target on Moody’s from $539.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Moody’s from $620.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $553.75.

Moody’s Price Performance

NYSE MCO traded down $6.03 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $444.73. 406,841 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,270,854. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.84. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $498.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $494.79. Moody’s has a 1 year low of $378.71 and a 1 year high of $546.88. The company has a market cap of $79.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.44.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $3.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.39 by $0.25. Moody’s had a return on equity of 63.58% and a net margin of 29.92%.The firm had revenue of $1.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.62 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.400-17.000 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Moody’s will post 13.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 592 shares of Moody’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $516.15, for a total transaction of $305,560.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 61,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,527,474.30. The trade was a 0.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moody’s

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MCO. Rexford Capital Inc. bought a new position in Moody’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Moody’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Moody’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Moody’s during the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Moody’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. 92.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Moody’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Moody’s reported non‑GAAP EPS of $3.64 and revenue of $1.89B, topping consensus and showing double‑digit revenue growth, driven by strong demand for analytics and investors services. Q4 Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat FY‑2026 outlook — management set EPS guidance of $16.40–$17.00 and described strong ratings demand, signaling continued revenue drivers into 2026. Guidance Article
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raise — Moody’s announced a quarterly dividend of $1.03 (≈9.6% increase), boosting shareholder yield and signaling confidence in cash flow. (Record/ex‑dividend dates announced with payout in March.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic expansion — Moody’s opened a regional headquarters in Riyadh to deepen Middle East presence and access accelerating capital‑markets activity under Saudi Vision 2030. Riyadh HQ
• Negative Sentiment: Profit‑taking / market reaction — despite beats and guidance, shares are trading lower as investors trim positions after recent gains; some commentary suggested the pullback was expected and investors are refocusing on 2026 execution and margins. Drop Was Expected
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation & technicals — MCO trades at a high P/E and below its 50‑day moving average after recent highs; lower-than‑average trading volume suggests the move may be profit‑taking rather than a fundamental reversal.

About Moody’s

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.