Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Moody’s Co. (NYSE:MCO) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $504.46 and last traded at $504.65, with a volume of 47598 shares. The stock had previously closed at $499.20.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on MCO shares. UBS Group upped their price target on Moody’s from $495.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Moody’s from $543.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $468.00 to $481.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Citigroup began coverage on Moody’s in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $565.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Moody’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $507.36.

Moody’s Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $91.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a 50-day moving average of $482.69 and a 200 day moving average of $474.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 1.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 281 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $474.86, for a total value of $133,435.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 61,894 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,390,984.84. This represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 843 shares of company stock worth $401,119 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moody’s

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MCO. Planning Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in shares of Moody’s by 566.7% during the 3rd quarter. Planning Capital Management Corp now owns 60 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Moody’s by 272.2% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 67 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Moody’s during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its holdings in Moody’s by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 86 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of Moody’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 92.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Moody’s Company Profile

Moody’s Corporation operates as an integrated risk assessment firm worldwide. It operates in two segments, Moody’s Analytics and Moody’s Investors Services. The Moody’s Analytics segment develops a range of products and services that support the risk management activities of institutional participants in financial markets.