Moody's

EuroStoxx 50, SMI and FTSE 100 rose at the open, supported by slightly lower oil prices and easing in the French bond market after Moody's surprising confirmation of France's credit rating. The German Ifo index bolstered hopes for the economy, banks benefited from the rating news, while travel and auto sectors were at the top of sector gains. Telefónica, however, fell sharply after a JPMorgan downgrade and turmoil in Brazil following election night. » Mere på finanzen.net

Moody's stock is trading at about 37 times trailing earnings, pricing in optimism around its AI integrations and strong 2026 guidance. The company expects high-single-digit revenue growth, margin expansion and 10%–14% adjusted EPS growth, plus substantial share buybacks funded by $2.8–3.0 billion free cash flow. Near-term risks include potential interest-rate hikes that could weaken demand for rating services and compress the premium valuation, so investors should await the Q2 report for clarity on macro impacts and AI monetization. » Mere på finance.yahoo.com

Fitch has affirmed Moody’s long-term rating at BBB+ and raised the outlook from stable to positive; the short-term IDR and commercial paper rating were affirmed at F1. The agency points to Moody’s strong market position, growing company size, high free cash flows, an EBITDA leverage ratio of 1.7x at end‑2025, more than USD 2 billion in liquid assets and a commercial paper program of USD 1 billion. Fitch sees upside with sustained growth and stable margins, expects EBITDA margins sustainably above 50% and leverage below 2.0x; Moody’s Analytics provides more than 40% of revenue. » Mere på de.investing.com

Moody’s has lowered Mercer’s Corporate Family Rating from Caa1 to Caa3 and its Probability of Default rating to Caa3-PD, and reduced the rating of senior unsecured debt to Ca. The agency cites persistently high indebtedness, low interest coverage, expected free cash flow deficits, weak pulp prices and reduced demand through at least 2027 as reasons. Moody’s warns of a limited liquidity runway due to revolving credit lines maturing in 2027, possible covenant breaches on the German facility and an increased restructuring risk, including a distressed exchange. » Mere på de.investing.com

Berkshire Hathaway disclosed owning 28.4 million Moody's Corporation shares in Q4 2010, which fell to 24.6 million by Q4 2013 and have remained at that level. The stake's value has risen to about $10.7 billion based on an average share price near $473. Recent analyst moves: Mizuho cut its price target to $521 and kept a Neutral rating after Moody's Q1 results, while BMO raised its target to $489 and highlighted AI-driven data management potential. » Mere på finance.yahoo.com