Moody's Corporation (MCO): Today's Featured Diversified Services Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Moody's Corporation (MCO) pushed the Diversified Services industry higher today making it today's featured diversified services winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1%. By the end of trading, Moody's Corporation rose 72 cents (1.4%) to $50.95 on light volume. Throughout the day, 1.7 million shares of Moody's Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 3.3 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $49.60-$51.04 after having opened the day at $50.50 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $50.23. Other companies within the Diversified Services industry that increased today were: Acquity Group Ltd ADR (AQ), up 37.8%, Information Services Group (III), up 26.4%, PowerSecure International (POWR), up 11.6%, and SuperMedia (SPMD), up 11.5%.

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Moody's Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides credit ratings, research, and analysis covering fixed-income securities, other debt instruments, and the entities that issue such instruments in the global capital markets. Moody's Corporation has a market cap of $11.25 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 16.5, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 0.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are three analysts that rate Moody's Corporation a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and three rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Moody's Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its notable return on equity, robust revenue growth, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

• You can view the full Moody's Ratings Report.

On the negative front, Luna Innovations (LUNA), down 9.4%, Swisher Hygiene (SWSH), down 9%, DLH Holdings (DLHC), down 8.3%, and Daegis (DAEG), down 7%, were all laggards within the diversified services industry with Weight Watchers International (WTW) being today's diversified services industry laggard.

• Use our diversified services section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the diversified services industry could consider iShares Dow Jones US Cons Services (IYC) while those bearish on the diversified services industry could consider ProShares Ultra Short Consumer Sers (SCC).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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For more information on Moody's Corporation click any of the following:

• Moody's Corporation Stock Price

• Moody's Corporation Analyst Ratings

• Moody's Corporation Key Stats & Profile

• Moody's Corporation Earnings

• Moody's Corporation Ratio Comparison

• Moody's Corporation Growth Rates

• Moody's Corporation Balance Sheet

• Moody's Corporation Cash Flow

• Moody's Corporation Income Statement