Moody’s(MCO)2025-04-22 14:42Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Moody's achieved record revenue of 3.83 [12][36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Moody's Investors Service (MIS) revenue grew 8% with issuance growth of 9%, achieving quarterly revenue of 859 million, also up 8%, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth of 9% [36][37] - Decision Solutions within MA saw ARR growth of 12%, driven by KYC, insurance, and banking solutions [37][39] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Private credit was a significant contributor to growth, with 143 private credit-related deals in Q1 2025, up from 69 in Q1 2024 [13][14] - Data center debt issuance reached 83 billion, above the 21st-century average [33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on enhancing its earnings power and market position amidst economic volatility [11][28] - Investments in AI and digital transformation are central to the company's strategy, with a focus on generative AI to drive growth and efficiency [22][23] - A partnership with MSCI aims to provide independent risk assessments for private credit investments, enhancing transparency in the market [31][123] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged increased uncertainty in the market due to tariffs and economic conditions, leading to a more conservative guidance approach [28][44] - The company expects a decrease in MIS rated issuance for 2025, projecting low to high single-digit declines [46][48] - Despite short-term challenges, management remains confident in the long-term demand for their solutions driven by deep market currents [30][55] Other Important Information - The company maintains a strong financial profile and plans to return at least 13.25 and $14, representing a 9% growth at the midpoint [52] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you walk us through your assumptions around what acquisitions were included in the prior guidance versus now? - No change in M&A assumptions with respect to MA revenue guidance; CAPE Analytics was already included [58][59] Question: What were the key assumptions that were made in terms of M&A volume? - Adjusted M&A growth expectations down to 15% from 50% due to trade policy uncertainty [65] Question: How sensitive are Research and Insights and Data and Information to current macro trends? - Research and Insights growth is mainly from CreditView; Data and Information faced slower growth due to government attrition [68][71] Question: Can you explain the guidance for a decrease in issuance versus flat to increased revenue growth for 2025? - Annual pricing initiatives and a positive mix shift are expected to support revenue despite decreased issuance [74][75] Question: Can you elaborate on the costs and efficiency program? - The efficiency program is generating gains, with expectations for MA margins to ramp into the mid-30s range by Q4 [80][81] Question: How do Fed rate cuts impact your issuance outlook? - Rate cuts present mixed effects; decelerating economic growth could negatively impact issuance despite lower rates [87] Question: What is the revenue model for the partnership with MSCI? - The revenue model has not been disclosed, but there is significant demand for rigorous third-party credit assessments in the private credit market [121][122] Question: What is the outlook for first-time mandates? - First-time mandates are expected to continue growing, particularly in the private credit market [128][129] Question: Are tariffs driving demand for KYC solutions? - Tariffs may drive demand for KYC and supply chain risk solutions, with a new corporate platform launched to address these needs [132]