Is Moody's Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?

New York-based Moody's Corporation (MCO) operates as an integrated risk assessment firm. Valued at $86.7 billion by market cap, Moody’s provides credit ratings, research, data & analytics tools, software solutions & related risk management services, quantitative credit assessment services, and more.

Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as "large-cap stocks," and Moody’s fits this bill perfectly. Given the company’s decades-old history, widespread operations across the globe and long-standing reputation in the finance sector, its valuation above this mark is unsurprising.

Moody’s touched its all-time high of $531.93 on Feb. 14 and is currently trading 8.7% below that peak. MCO stock has observed a marginal 88 bps uptick over the past three months, lagging behind the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 3.3% gains during the same time frame.

Moody’s performance has remained much more impressive over the longer term. MCO stock has gained 2.6% on a YTD basis and surged 19.4% over the past year, outpacing SPX’s 1.5% uptick in 2025 and 12.8% returns over the past 52 weeks.

MCO stock has bounced back after hitting a new low in April and has traded mostly above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages for the past month.

Moody's stock prices surged 4% after the release of its impressive Q1 results on Apr. 22. The company observed strong growth among all its divisions and also reported a record quarter for its ratings franchise. Its overall topline for the quarter soared 7.7% year-over-year to $1.9 billion, beating the Street’s expectations by 2.3%. Meanwhile, its adjusted net income for the quarter increased by an even more impressive 12% year-over-year to $692 million. Moreover, its adjusted EPS of $3.83 surpassed the consensus estimates by 7.6%, boosting investor confidence.

While Moody’s has marginally lagged behind its peer S&P Global Inc.'s (SPGI) 3.2% gains in 2025, it has slightly outpaced SPGI’s 19% returns over the past 52 weeks.

Among the 24 analysts covering the MCO stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” As of writing, its mean price target of $507.33 suggests a modest 4.5% upside potential from current price levels.

On the date of publication, Aditya Sarawgi did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.