Stock fact sheet · data as of
Moody's Corporation (MCO): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol MCO · Financial Services · Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges · United States · Growth Quality
Is MCO undervalued?
Moody's Corporation (MCO) closed at 528.34 on 5 Nov 2026, 45% above the GLS average fair value of 363.95. 6 of the 9 models that produced a number value the shares below the current price. A gap this wide usually means the market is paying for growth or a story the trailing numbers do not show yet; the models work from filed results, not forecasts, so they are conservative by design.
There is a wide gap between DDM (59.30) and GLS Growth (860.76). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
Ranked against every other company we cover, MCO is clearly faster-growing than it is cheap, so the nightly engine files it under Growth (value score 13, growth score 62, out of 100). It also carries the Quality tag (Quality = moat 7.5+ out of 10 and Piotroski 7+).
Nine valuation models for MCO
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 175.37 | -67% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 84.26 | -84% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 550.13 | +4% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 210.41 | -60% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 860.76 | +63% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 465.36 | -12% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 684.55 | +30% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 59.30 | -89% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 185.38 | -65% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -37.34 | -107% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 536.44 | +2% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Moody's Corporation scores 8 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, the nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency on the latest annual accounts - a strong reading that passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter with room to spare. A GLS Moat score of 9.0/10 puts MCO among the more durable businesses we track: over up to ten years its returns on capital have stayed high, its margins steady and its balance sheet sound.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 21.6%, ROE 60.7%, ROA 15.5% - with debt at 1.81 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 3.5%.
The dividend yield is 0.76% with a payout ratio of 25% - a small yield that leaves most of the earnings in the business. Revenue comes mainly from Moodys Analytics 64%, Moodys Investors Service 36% (quarter Q3 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 3/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 8 / 9 | ROIC | 21.6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 9.0 / 10 | ROE | 60.7% |
| Debt / equity | 1.81 | ROA | 15.5% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 3.5% | Payout ratio | 25% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 3 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 41: Weak
With a Wheel Score of 41 Moody's Corporation sits in the Weak band. It fails filter 3, below fair value - trades 45% above our fair value; Value (weak) is its weakest part.
Implied volatility is 29% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out: enough to pass the 25-80% Wheel Trade Filter, but under the 35-60% sweet spot the score rewards most. Chain open interest is 9,520 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 1.2M shares a day on a market cap of $91.1B, with a beta of 1.30 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that strong.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Fails | trades 45% above our fair value |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Weak | 45% above fair value | |
| Premium | Fair | implied volatility 29% | |
| Moat | Strong | moat 9.0/10 | |
| Health | Strong | Piotroski 8/9 | |
| Red Flags | Strong | Red Flags score 95/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 647 contracts a day, 9,520 open interest | |
| Stability | Strong | beta 1.30, $91.1B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for MCO in the nightly calendar. The shares go ex-dividend on 20 Nov 2026 (1.03 per share), so a covered call sold before then carries a small early-assignment risk around that date.
Analysts downgraded MCO 1 time in the last 30 days with no upgrades; the latest action was a reiterated rating by BMO Capital on 22 Oct 2026.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
The 12 companies below are the closest to Moody's Corporation by market cap within the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. | 174.92 | 156.07 | -12% | 41Weak | $97.8B |
| CME CME Group Inc. | 308.27 | 224.77 | -37% | 40Weak | $110.3B |
| NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc. | 109.70 | 62.37 | -76% | 44Weak | $61.3B |
| SPGI S&P Global Inc. | 481.69 | 308.18 | -56% | 45Weak | $139.6B |
| MSCI MSCI Inc. | 674.30 | 388.95 | -73% | 38Weak | $49.0B |
| COIN Coinbase Global, Inc. | 151.50 | 148.21 | -2% | 33Weak | $40.1B |
| CBOE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | 345.21 | 234.08 | -47% | 45Weak | $36.0B |
| TRU TransUnion | 82.13 | 92.99 | +12% | 78Good | $15.7B |
| FDS FactSet Research Systems Inc. | 342.19 | 283.81 | -21% | 44Weak | $12.1B |
| MORN Morningstar, Inc. | 244.25 | 295.15 | +17% | 50Fair | $9.1B |
| OTCM OTC Markets Group Inc. | 52.45 | 47.22 | -11% | 25No options | $629M |
| VALU Value Line, Inc. | 44.40 | 25.42 | -75% | 22No options | $417M |
⚖ Compare MCO with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about MCO
Is MCO undervalued right now?
No: at 528.34 the stock trades 45% above the GLS average fair value of 363.95 (data as of 5 Nov 2026), well beyond what trailing earnings, cash flow and book value support.
What is the Wheel Score of MCO and what does it mean?
MCO scores 41 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 3. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for MCO?
363.95 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Moody's Corporation report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for MCO in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does MCO have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 212 listed contracts with 9,520 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 29% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.