Moody's (MCO): analysis in plain words
Is Moody's cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Moody's (MCO) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in financial services and payments. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Moody's according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Moody's (MCO) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $528.34 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 32.4x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +0.8% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 35.3% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.5x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 0.82% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $91.1 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Moody's figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any MCO figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Moody's makes money
Moody's has two segments. Moody's Investors Service charges bond issuers to rate their debt, while Moody's Analytics sells data, software and risk analysis on subscription to banks, insurers and corporations. The two contribute broadly similar shares of revenue, with the United States and Europe as the biggest markets.
Over the last 12 months, Moody's brought in revenue of $8.2 billion. For every 100 it sells, Moody's keeps 74.6 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 46.3 after all operating costs (operating margin). With 15,636 full-time employees, that is about $523,000 of revenue per employee.
Moody's against its sector
To know whether a Moody's figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Moody's with the median of the 21 financial services and payments companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Moody's | financial services and payments median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 32.4x | 27.9x (21) |
| Revenue growth | +0.8% | +12.4% (24) |
| Net margin | 35.3% | 25.8% (24) |
| Dividend yield | 0.82% | 0.81% (24) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.5x | 0.6x (13) |
In short, against the typical financial services and payments company, Moody's trades on a higher P/E, grows more slowly and earns a wider margin. By size, Moody's ranks number 12 of 22 financial services and payments companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Moody's
These are the strengths in the Moody's figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Its net margin over the last 12 months is 35.3% (sector median: 25.8%): Moody's turns a large share of its sales into profit.
- Moody's earns 76.7% a year on its shareholders' money (return on equity).
The main risk for Moody's
The Moody's figures as of November 4, 2026 show no clear red flag (no heavy debt, no losses, no falling sales). Its main risk is the one built into its business: a drop in the payment, investment or trading volumes it earns fees on, plus regulation.
Frequently asked questions about Moody's
Is it a good time to buy Moody's stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Moody's, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Moody's stock trades at $528.34, 3% below its 52-week high ($546.88) and 31% above its low ($402.28). Its P/E is 32.4x against a financial services and payments median of 27.9x, and 28.3x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Moody's, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Moody's pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Moody's pays $4.12 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 0.82%. It uses 25% of its profit to pay it, which leaves room to keep paying it if profit dips. Its average dividend yield over the last five years is 0.81%. The financial services and payments median on Fintols is 0.81%.
Is Moody's stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Moody's trades at 32.4x its last 12 months of earnings: more expensive than the financial services and payments median (27.9x). Including its debt, Moody's is valued at 23.0x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make Moody's expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Moody's's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Moody's with Intercontinental Exchange, CME Group and Apollo, which are also in financial services and payments. As of November 4, 2026, Intercontinental Exchange is worth $97.8 billion and trades on a P/E of 23.8; CME Group is worth $110.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 25.3; Apollo is worth $72.5 billion. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Moody's below.
Moody's competitors
- Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) analysis · Moody's vs Intercontinental Exchange comparison
- CME Group (CME) analysis · Moody's vs CME Group comparison
- Apollo (APO) analysis · Moody's vs Apollo comparison
To understand Moody's better
- Economic Moats Explained: From Warren Buffett to AI
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Moody's: financial services and payments stocks and S&P 500 companies. Open the full MCO analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Moody's, not investment advice.