Moody's (MCO) Declares $0.77 Dividend
Moody's said on January 30, 2023 that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share ($3.08 annualized). Shareholders of record as of February 23, 2023 will receive the payment on March 17, 2023. Previously, the company paid $0.70 per share.
At the current share price of $323.27 / share, the stock's dividend yield is 0.95%. Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 0.92%, the lowest has been 0.62%, and the highest has been 1.36%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.16 (n=235).
The current dividend yield is 0.23 standard deviations above the historical average.
Additionally, the company's dividend payout ratio is 0.41. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company's income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company's income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend - not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.
The company's 3-Year dividend growth rate is 0.54%, demonstrating that it has increased its dividend over time.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 6.70% Downside
As of February 2, 2023, the average one-year price target for Moody's is $301.60. The forecasts range from a low of $269.67 to a high of $346.50. The average price target represents a decrease of 6.70% from its latest reported closing price of $323.27.
The projected annual revenue for Moody's is $5,860MM, an increase of 7.17%. The projected annual EPS is $9.45, an increase of 12.14%.
Fund Sentiment
There are 1737 funds or institutions reporting positions in Moody's. This is a decrease of 17 owner(s) or 0.97%.
Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to US:MCO is 0.4007%, a decrease of 1.9835%. Total shares owned by institutions decreased in the last three months by 0.22% to 187,938K shares.
What are large shareholders doing?
Berkshire Hathaway holds 24,669,778 shares representing 13.47% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.
TCI Fund Management holds 8,246,207 shares representing 4.50% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.
Akre Capital Management holds 5,703,785 shares representing 3.11% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 5,703,505 shares, representing an increase of 0.00%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in MCO by 1.49% over the last quarter.
Fiera Capital holds 5,610,798 shares representing 3.06% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 6,057,614 shares, representing a decrease of 7.96%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in MCO by 41.19% over the last quarter.
AKREX - Akre Focus Fund Retail Class holds 5,222,244 shares representing 2.85% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.
Moody`s Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)
Moody's is a global risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. The Company believes that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With over 11,400 employees in more than 40 countries, Moody's combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.