Moody’s(US:MCO)2025-10-22 14:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Moody's achieved record quarterly revenue exceeding $2 billion for the first time, representing an 11% increase from the same quarter last year [5] - Adjusted operating margin reached almost 53%, up over 500 basis points year-over-year, indicating strong operating leverage [5] - Adjusted diluted EPS was $3.92, a 22% increase from the previous year, reflecting consistent earnings power growth [5][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Moody's Investors Service (MIS) reported a 12% revenue growth, surpassing $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the third consecutive quarter [6][21] - Revenue from private credit grew over 60% in the third quarter, driven by strong demand in fund finance and securitization [11] - Moody's Analytics (MA) delivered a 9% year-over-year revenue growth, with an 11% increase in decision solutions [12][28] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The issuance pipeline remains robust, with projected refunding needs over the next four years exceeding $5 trillion, a 10% compound annual growth rate from 2018 to 2025 [9] - Spec-grade bond maturities increased by over 20% in both the U.S. and EMEA regions, indicating a favorable backdrop for future issuance [10] - The number of private credit-related deals grew almost 70% in the third quarter, highlighting the sector's growth potential [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Moody's is focused on investing in scalable solutions across high-growth markets while simplifying its product suite [12] - The company is expanding its presence in emerging markets, including acquiring a majority interest in Meris, a leading ratings agency in Egypt [19] - Strategic partnerships, such as with Salesforce, are being leveraged to enhance customer integration and drive durable growth [17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the issuance environment heading into 2026, citing tight spreads and potential Fed easing as positive factors [60] - The company anticipates continued strong demand for credit insights, particularly in the private credit market amid rising concerns about credit health [70] - Management acknowledged risks related to ongoing tariff negotiations and potential government shutdown impacts on market conditions [28] Other Important Information - Moody's is increasing its full-year guidance for adjusted diluted EPS to a range of $14.50 to $14.75, implying approximately 17% growth at the midpoint [37] - Free cash flow is expected to be around $2.5 billion, with share repurchase guidance increased to at least $1.5 billion [37] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on AI in the analytics business - Management clarified that AI is being embedded into various workflow solutions and that they have developed over 50 domain-specific agents leveraging proprietary data [41] Question: Impact of record issuance in Q3 - Management noted that pull forward activity is more prevalent in spec-grade than investment-grade issuers, with healthy maturity walls expected [46] Question: Proprietary data sets in KYC solutions - Management highlighted the unique data sets used in KYC solutions, including Orbis and AI-curated news, which provide a comprehensive view of business relationships [50] Question: Differences in refi walls portrayal - Management explained that the article referenced a decline in U.S. spec-grade refi walls, which is a subset of broader maturities that remain healthy [52] Question: Outlook for issuance in 2026 - Management indicated more tailwinds than headwinds for 2026, with expectations for continued strong issuance driven by M&A activity and infrastructure investments [60]