Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund Increases Moody's Co. Holdings

The Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund has significantly increased its investment in Moody's Co. (NYSE:MCO - Free Report), with a 44.6% rise in holdings reported during the fourth quarter. According to the latest Form 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the fund now owns 6,703 shares of the business services provider after acquiring an additional 2,066 shares during this period. The total value of Kentucky Retirement Systems' holdings in Moody's is approximately $3,173,000.

Institutional Investor Activity

Several other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in Moody's. For instance, Planning Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in the company by an impressive 566.7% during the third quarter, now owning 60 shares valued at $29,000 after purchasing 51 additional shares. Similarly, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake by 272.2%, currently holding 67 shares worth $32,000 after adding 49 more shares. Other investors, including Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC and Asset Planning Inc, have also taken new positions valued at around $36,000 and $42,000, respectively. As it stands, institutional investors own approximately 92.11% of Moody's stock.

Market Insights and Price Targets

Analysts from various brokerages have recently issued updated reports regarding Moody's stock. Oppenheimer raised its price target from $543.00 to $545.00 while maintaining an "outperform" rating. William Blair has echoed this rating in its latest report. Furthermore, UBS Group increased its price objective from $495.00 to $510.00, rating the stock as "neutral." Robert W. Baird also raised its price target from $490.00 to $512.00, continuing to give an "outperform" rating. Citigroup has started coverage with a "buy" rating and a target price of $565.00. In terms of overall stock ratings, one research analyst has rated the stock as a sell, five have given it a hold rating, while ten have issued buy ratings. MarketBeat reports an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target price of $522.62.

Insider Selling Activity

Recently, CEO Robert Fauber sold 281 shares of Moody's stock on January 15. The total value of this transaction was $133,087.22, with shares sold at an average price of $473.62. Following this sale, the CEO now owns 61,894 shares of the company, valued at approximately $29,314,236.28, which reflects a 0.45% decrease in ownership. Over the previous three months, insiders have sold 843 shares totaling $405,455, with company insiders possessing about 0.07% of the stock.

Current Stock Performance

As of now, Moody's shares opened trading at $522.76. The company holds a market capitalization of around $94.72 billion, showing a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 47.74, and a price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of 2.93. Moody's has a beta of 1.31, suggesting it is more volatile than the market. The company’s financial ratios indicate a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69 and both a quick and current ratio of 1.67. Moody's has experienced a 52-week low of $360.05 and a high of $531.93, with the stock maintaining a 50-day simple moving average of $484.94 and a 200-day moving average of $478.95.

Dividend Announcement

In addition to stock performance, Moody's has also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.94 per share, set to be paid on March 14, with the ex-dividend date being February 25. This marks an increase from the previous dividend of $0.85, amounting to an annualized dividend of $3.76 with a yield of 0.72%. Currently, Moody's has a dividend payout ratio of 31.05%.

About Moody's Corporation

Moody's Corporation operates globally as an integrated risk assessment firm, with two main segments: Moody's Analytics and Moody's Investors Services. The Analytics segment specializes in providing a range of products and services aimed at enhancing risk management for institutional participants in the financial markets.

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