BMO Cuts Moody’s Target to $480, Cites Sector Multiple Compression
BMO Capital cut Moody’s price target to $480 from $561, retaining a Market Perform rating and citing sector valuation compression. Moody’s Q4 2025 revenue climbed 9% to $7.7B and EPS rose 20% to $14.94, while private credit revenue jumped 60% and debt rated reached $6.6T.
1. BMO Target Revision
On February 9 BMO Capital cut Moody’s price target from $561 to $480, retained a Market Perform rating and pointed to compression in sector valuation multiples despite upward earnings revisions.
2. Q4 2025 Performance
In the fourth quarter of 2025 Moody’s reported revenue of $7.7 billion, up 9% year-over-year, adjusted operating margin of 51.1% (up 300 basis points) and adjusted EPS of $14.94, reflecting 20% growth.
3. Segment and Volume Highlights
Both Ratings and Analytics segments delivered robust results, with private credit revenue surging nearly 60% and the company rating a record $6.6 trillion in debt over the year.
4. AI Initiatives and Capital Returns
Management highlighted expansion of decision-grade AI capabilities into customer workflows and third-party systems, while leveraging strong cash flows to return significant capital to shareholders.