UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(MARK ONE)

☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM            TO            .

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-14037

MOODY’S CORPORATION

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10007

(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

(ZIP CODE)

REGISTRANT’S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (212) 553-0300.

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT:

NONE

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐  No ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes ☑  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes ☑  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large Accelerated Filer ☑    Accelerated Filer ☐    Non-accelerated Filer ☐    Smaller  reporting company ☐    Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes ☐  No ☑

The aggregate market value of Moody’s Corporation Common Stock held by nonaffiliates* on June 30, 2018 (based upon its closing transaction price on the New York Stock Exchange on such date) was approximately $32.7 billion.

As of January 31, 2019, 191.0 million shares of Common Stock of Moody’s Corporation were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for use in connection with its annual meeting of stockholders scheduled to be held on April 16, 2019, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

The Index to Exhibits is included as Part IV, Item 15(3) of this Form 10-K.

MOODY’S CORPORATION

INDEX TO FORM 10-K

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The following terms, abbreviations and acronyms are used to identify frequently used terms in this report:

PART I

BACKGROUND

As used in this report, except where the context indicates otherwise, the terms “Moody’s” or the “Company” refer to Moody’s Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries. The Company’s executive offices are located at 7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 and its telephone number is (212) 553-0300.

THE COMPANY

Moody’s is a provider of (i) credit ratings; (ii) credit, capital markets and economic research, data and analytical tools; (iii) software solutions that support financial risk management activities; (iv) quantitatively derived credit scores; (v) learning solutions and certification services; (vi) offshore financial research and analytical services; and (vii) company information and business intelligence products. Moody’s reports in two reportable segments: MIS and MA. Financial information and operating results of these segments, including revenue, expenses and operating income, are included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements of this annual report, and are herein incorporated by reference.

MIS publishes credit ratings on a wide range of debt obligations and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide, including various corporate and governmental obligations, structured finance securities and commercial paper programs. Ratings revenue is derived from the originators and issuers of such transactions who use MIS ratings to support the distribution of their debt issues to investors. MIS provides ratings in more than 130 countries. Ratings are disseminated via press releases to the public through a variety of print and electronic media, including the internet and real-time information systems widely used by securities traders and investors. As of December 31, 2018, MIS had the following ratings relationships:

Additionally, MIS earns revenue from certain non-ratings-related operations, which primarily consist of financial instruments pricing services in the Asia-Pacific region as well as revenue from ICRA non-rating operations. The revenue from these operations is included in the MIS Other LOB and is not material to the results of the MIS segment.

The MA segment develops a wide range of products and services that support financial analysis and risk management activities of institutional participants in global financial markets. Within its RD&A business, MA offers subscription based research, data and analytical products, including credit ratings produced by MIS, credit research, quantitative credit scores and other analytical tools, economic research and forecasts, business intelligence and company information products, and commercial real estate data and analytical tools. Within its ERS business, MA provides software solutions as well as related risk management services. The PS business provides offshore analytical and research services along with learning solutions and certification programs. MA customers represent more than 11,100 institutions worldwide operating in over 150 countries. During 2018, Moody’s research website was accessed by over 281,000 individuals including 38,000 customer users.

PROSPECTS FOR GROWTH

Over recent decades, global fixed-income markets have grown significantly both in terms of the amount and types of securities or other obligations outstanding. Beginning in mid-2007, there was a severe market disruption and associated financial crisis both in the devel-

oped and emerging markets resulting in a global decline in debt issuance activity for some significant asset classes and weak economic performance in advanced economies. Since this financial crisis, many markets and economies have recovered and Moody’s believes the overall long-term outlook remains favorable for continued growth of the global fixed-income market and related financial information market, which includes information such as credit opinions, research, data, analytics, risk management tools and related services.

Moody’s growth is influenced by a number of trends that impact financial information markets including:

In an environment of increasing financial complexity and heightened attention to credit analysis and risk management, Moody’s is well positioned to benefit from continued growth in global fixed-income market activity and a more widespread use of credit ratings, research and related analytical products. Moody’s expects that these developments will support continued long-term demand for high quality, independent credit opinions, research, data, analytics, risk management tools and related services.

Strong secular trends should continue to provide long-term growth opportunities. For MIS, key growth drivers include debt market issuance driven by global GDP growth, continued disintermediation of fixed-income markets in both developed and emerging economies driving issuance and demand for new ratings products and services. Growth in MA is likely to be driven by deeper and broader penetration of the customer base as data demands, regulatory compliance and other analytical requirements drive demand for MA’s products and expertise. Moreover, pricing opportunities aligned with customer value creation and advances in information technology present growth opportunities for Moody’s.

Growth in global fixed income markets in a given year is dependent on many macroeconomic and capital market factors including interest rates, business investment spending, corporate refinancing needs, merger and acquisition activity, issuer profits, consumer borrowing levels and securitization activity. Rating fees paid by debt issuers account for most of the revenue of MIS. Therefore, a substantial portion of MIS’s revenue is dependent upon the dollar-equivalent volume and number of ratable debt securities issued in the global capital markets. MIS’s results can be affected by factors such as the performance and prospects for growth of the major world economies, the fiscal and monetary policies pursued by their governments, and the decisions of issuers to request MIS ratings to aid investors in their investment decisions. However, annual fee arrangements with frequent debt issuers, annual debt monitoring fees and annual fees from commercial paper and medium-term note programs, bank deposit ratings, insurance company financial strength ratings, mutual fund ratings, and other areas partially mitigate MIS’s dependence on the volume or number of new debt securities issued in the global fixed-income markets. Furthermore, the strong growth seen in the issuance of structured finance securities from the mid-1990’s reversed dramatically in 2008 due to market turmoil, with continued declines seen in 2009 and 2010, before stabilizing in 2011 with Moody’s experiencing revenue growth in this market beginning in 2012. Despite significant declines from peak market issuance levels, Moody’s believes that structured finance securities will continue to play a role in global fixed-income markets and provide opportunities for long-term revenue growth.

The pace of change in technology and communication over the past two decades makes information about investment alternatives widely available throughout the world and facilitates issuers’ ability to place securities outside their national markets and similarly investors’ ability to obtain information about securities issued outside their national markets. Technology also allows issuers and investors the ability to more readily obtain information about new financing techniques and new types of securities that they may wish to purchase or sell, which in the absence of the appropriate technology might not be readily or easily obtainable. This availability of information promotes the ongoing integration and expansion of financial markets worldwide, giving issuers and investors access to a wider range of both established and newer capital markets. As technology provides broader access to worldwide markets, it also results in a greater need for credible, globally comparable opinions about credit risk, data, analytics and related services. Additionally, information technology also provides opportunities to further build a global platform to support Moody’s continued expansion in developing markets.

An ongoing trend in the world’s capital markets is the disintermediation of financial systems. Issuers increasingly raise capital in the global public capital markets, in addition to, or in substitution for, traditional financial intermediaries. Moreover, financial intermediaries have sold assets in the global public capital markets, in addition to, or instead of, retaining those assets. Moody’s believes that issuer use of global debt capital markets offer advantages in capacity and efficiency compared to traditional banking systems and that the trend of increased disintermediation will continue. Further, disintermediation has continued because of the historically low interest rate environment and bank deleveraging, which has encouraged a number of corporations and other entities to seek alternative funding in the bond markets.

Moody’s also observes disintermediation in key emerging markets where economic growth may outpace internal banking system capacity. Thus, disintermediation is expected to continue over the longer-term, with Moody’s targeting investment and resources to those markets where disintermediation and bond issuance is expected to remain robust.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, banking, insurance and capital markets authorities promulgated a wide range of new regulations to restore stability and confidence in financial institutions under their oversight. Programs such as Basel III, Solvency II, and CCAR — among many others — prompted banks, insurers, securities dealers, and asset managers to invest in more robust risk management practices and systems. Many of these investments drew on expertise and tools offered by MA, resulting in strong revenue growth in the post-crisis period. As banking and capital markets continue to stabilize, and with financial institutions better capitalized, regulatory-driven demand for MA products has moderated. Nonetheless, we expect that MA products and services that enable compliance with financial regulation and accounting standards will continue to be adopted by institutions worldwide, prompted by periodic revisions to regulatory frameworks such as the Basel capital adequacy protocols. Moreover, having responded to regulatory imperatives, financial institutions are increasingly seeking to leverage investments in regulatory compliance systems to gain business insights and front-office efficiencies; MA is well positioned to realize revenue growth by assisting in these efforts to apply back-office analytics in support of front-line business decisions. Finally, in order to respond to other sources of demand and drive growth, MA is actively investing in new products, including enhanced data sets and improved delivery methods (e.g., software-as-a-service). These efforts should support broader distribution of MA’s capabilities, deepen relationships with existing customers and facilitate more new customer acquisition.

Legislative bodies and regulators in the U.S., Europe and other jurisdictions continue to conduct regulatory reviews of CRAs, which may result in, for example, an increased number of competitors, changes to the business model or restrictions on certain business activities of MIS, removal of references to ratings in certain regulations, or increased costs of doing business for MIS. At present, Moody’s is unable to assess the nature and effect that any regulatory changes may have on future growth opportunities.

Moody’s operations are subject to various risks, as more fully described in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors,” inherent in conducting business on a global basis. Such risks include currency fluctuations and possible nationalization, expropriation, exchange and price controls, changes in the availability of data from public sector sources, limits on providing information across borders and other restrictive governmental actions.

COMPETITION

MIS competes with other CRAs and with investment banks and brokerage firms that offer credit opinions and research. Many users of MIS’s ratings also have in-house credit research capabilities. MIS’s largest competitor in the global credit rating business is S&P Global Ratings (S&P), a division of S&P Global. There are some rating markets, based on industry, geography and/or instrument type, in which Moody’s has made investments and obtained market positions superior to S&P, while in other markets, the reverse is true.

In addition to S&P, MIS’s competitors in the U.S. include Fitch Ratings, Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS), A.M. Best Company, Kroll Bond Rating Agency Inc., and Morningstar Inc. In Europe, there are approximately 45 companies currently registered with ESMA, which include both purely domestic European CRAs and International CRAs such as S&P, Fitch and DBRS. There are additional competitors in other regions and countries, some of which are global entities and compete across regions and asset classes, while others focus on particular asset classes and regions.

MA competes broadly in the financial information industry against diversified competitors such as Refinitiv, Bloomberg, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Fitch Solutions, D&B, IBM, Wolters Kluwer, Fidelity National Information Services, SAS, Fiserv, MSCI and IHS Markit among others. MA’s main competitors within RD&A include S&P Global Market Intelligence, CreditSights, Refinitiv, Intex, IHS Markit, BlackRock Solutions, FactSet and other providers of fixed income analytics, valuations, economic data and research. In ERS, MA faces competition from both large software providers such as IBM Algorithmics, Fidelity National Information Services, SAS, Oracle, Misys, Oliver Wyman, Verisk Analytics and various other vendors and in-house solutions. Within Professional Services, MA competes with a host of financial training and education firms and providers of offshore research and analytical services such as Evalueserve and CRISIL Global Research & Analytics.

MOODY’S STRATEGY

Moody’s corporate mission is to be the world’s most respected authority serving financial risk-sensitive markets. The key aspects to implement this strategy are to:

Moody’s will make investments to defend and enhance its core businesses in an attempt to position the Company to fully capture market opportunities resulting from global debt capital market expansion and increased business investment spending. Moody’s will also make strategic investments to achieve scale in attractive financial information markets, move into attractive product and service adjacencies where the Company can leverage its brand, extend its thought leadership and expand its geographic presence in high growth emerging markets.

To broaden the Company’s potential, MA provides a wide range of products and services to enable financial institutions, corporations and governmental authorities to better manage risk. As such, MA adds to the Company’s value proposition in three ways. First, MA’s subscription businesses provide a significant base of recurring revenue to offset cyclicality in ratings issuance volumes that may result in volatility in MIS’s revenues. Second, MA products and services, such as financial training and professional services on research and risk management best practices, provide opportunities for entry into emerging markets before banking systems and debt capital markets fully develop and thus present long-term growth opportunities for the ratings business. Finally, MA’s integrated risk management software platform embeds Moody’s solutions deep into the technology infrastructure of banks and insurance companies worldwide.

Moody’s invests in initiatives to implement the Company’s strategy, including internally led organic development and targeted acquisitions. Example initiatives include:

During 2018, Moody’s continued to invest in and acquire complementary businesses in MIS and MA. In May 2018, Moody’s acquired a minority stake in QuantCube Technology, an innovative provider of real-time, AI-based predictive analytics for corporate customers, financial institutions and investment managers. The investment complements a series of initiatives across the company to harness innovative and emerging technologies. In August 2018, Moody’s acquired Omega Performance, a leading provider of online credit training. The acquisition adds to MA’s suite of industry-leading learning solutions and reinforces MA as a market standard in credit proficiency for financial institutions worldwide. In October 2018, Moody’s invested in Team8 Partners II, L.P., the second vehicle raised by Team8, a leading think tank and company creation platform specializing in cybersecurity and data resilience. The investment builds on Moody’s investments and initiatives in cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Also in October 2018, Moody’s completed the acquisition of Reis, Inc., a leading provider of U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) data. The acquisition further expands MA’s network of data and analytics providers in the CRE space, including investments in start-ups that apply innovative approaches and new technologies to source data and deliver tools to the market. In November 2018, Moody’s announced it had entered an agreement to acquire a minority stake in ICR Chile, a leading provider of domestic credit ratings in Chile. The transaction adds to Moody’s growing presence across Latin America.

REGULATION

MIS and many of the securities that it rates are subject to extensive regulation in both the U.S. and in other countries (including by state and local authorities). Thus, existing and proposed laws and regulations can impact the Company’s operations and the markets for securities that it rates. Additional laws and regulations have been adopted but not yet implemented or have been proposed or are being considered. Each of the existing, adopted, proposed and potential laws and regulations can increase the costs and legal risk associated with the issuance of credit ratings and may negatively impact Moody’s operations or profitability, the Company’s ability to compete, or result in changes in the demand for credit ratings, in the manner in which ratings are utilized and in the manner in which Moody’s operates.

The regulatory landscape has changed rapidly in recent years, and continues to evolve. In the EU, the CRA industry is registered and supervised through a pan-European regulatory framework. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has direct supervisory responsibility for the registered CRA industry throughout the EU. MIS is a registered entity and is subject to formal regulation and periodic inspection. Applicable rules include procedural requirements with respect to ratings of sovereign issuers, liability for intentional

or grossly negligent failure to abide by applicable regulations, mandatory rotation requirements of CRAs hired by issuers of securities for ratings of resecuritizations, restrictions on CRAs or their shareholders if certain ownership thresholds are crossed, reporting requirements to ESMA regarding fees, and additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services. In 2016, the Commission published a report concluding that no new European legislation was needed for the industry at that time, but that it would continue to monitor the credit rating industry and analyze approaches that may strengthen existing regulation. In addition, from time to time, ESMA publishes interpretive guidance, or thematic reports regarding various aspects of the regulation. Two such reports were published in the first half of 2018. The first report provided further guidance from ESMA regarding the endorsement mechanism that CRAs will need to employ for those ratings that are produced outside of the EU but are used inside the EU by EU-regulated entities. The second report discussed ESMA’s observations on CRA’s fee practices. Further, in March 2018, ESMA published a consultation report seeking feedback on the extent to which EU regulation should be applied to CRAs operating outside of the EU to make their ratings eligible for regulatory use in the EU. In July 2018, ESMA published its final guidance on the applicability of EU regulation to endorsed ratings, with an effective date of January 1, 2019. In the final guidance, ESMA indicated that as long as the underlying principles of the EU rules were adhered to, ESMA did not expect that the EU’s CRA rules would need to be exported to non-EU jurisdictions for endorsement purposes.

Separately, on June 23, 2016, the U.K. voted through a referendum to exit the EU. The U.K. officially launched the exit process by submitting its Article 50 letter to the EU, informing it of the U.K.’s intention to exit. The submission of this letter started the clock on the negotiation of the terms of exit, which originally was expected to take up to two years, but may take longer.

The longer-term impacts of the decision to leave the EU on the overall regulatory framework for the U.K. will depend, in part, on the relationship that the U.K. negotiates with the EU in the future. In the interim, however, the U.K.’s markets regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) has indicated that all EU financial regulations will stay in place and that firms must continue to abide by their existing obligations. As a consequence, at this point in time, there is no change to the regulatory framework under which MIS operates and ESMA remains MIS’s regulator both in the EU and in the U.K.

In the U.S., CRAs are subject to extensive regulation primarily pursuant to the Reform Act and the Financial Reform Act. The SEC is required by these legislative acts to publish two annual reports to Congress on NRSROs. The Financial Reform Act requires the SEC to examine each NRSRO once a year and issue an annual report summarizing the examination findings, among other requirements. The annual report required by the Reform Act details the SEC’s views on the state of competition, transparency and conflicts of interests among NRSROs, among other requirements. The SEC voted in August 2014 to adopt its final rules for NRSROs as required by the Financial Reform Act. The Company has made and continues to make substantial IT and other investments, and has implemented the relevant compliance obligations.

In light of the regulations that have gone into effect in both the EU and the U.S. (as well as many other countries), periodically and as a matter of course pursuant to their enabling legislation, these regulatory authorities have and will continue to publish reports that describe their oversight activities over the industry. In addition, other legislation and/or interpretation of existing regulation relating to credit rating and research services is being considered by local, national and multinational bodies and this type of activity is likely to continue in the future. Finally, in certain countries, governments may provide financial or other support to locally-based rating agencies. For example, governments may from time to time establish official rating agencies or credit ratings criteria or procedures for evaluating local issuers. If enacted, any such legislation and regulation could change the competitive landscape in which MIS operates. The legal status of rating agencies has been addressed by courts in various decisions and is likely to be considered and addressed in legal proceedings from time to time in the future. Management of the Company cannot predict whether these or any other proposals will be enacted, the outcome of any pending or possible future legal proceedings, or regulatory or legislative actions, or the ultimate impact of any such matters on the competitive position, financial position or results of operations of Moody’s.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Moody’s and its affiliates own and control a variety of intellectual property, including but not limited to proprietary information, trademarks, research, software tools and applications, models and methodologies, databases, domain names, and other proprietary materials that, in the aggregate, are of material importance to Moody’s business. Management of Moody’s believes that each of the trademarks and related corporate names, marks and logos containing the term “Moody’s” are of material importance to the Company.

The Company, primarily through MA (including its Bureau van Dijk business), licenses certain of its databases, software applications, credit risk models, training courses in credit risk and capital markets, research and other publications and services that contain intellectual property to its customers. These licenses are provided pursuant to standard fee-bearing agreements containing customary restrictions and intellectual property protections.

In addition, Moody’s licenses from third parties certain technology, data and other intellectual property rights. Specifically, Moody’s obtains licenses from third parties to use financial information (such as market and index data, financial statement data, research data,

default data, and security identifiers) as well as software development tools and libraries. In addition, the Company’s Bureau van Dijk business obtains from third party information providers certain financial, credit risk, compliance, management, ownership and other data on companies worldwide, which Bureau van Dijk distributes through its company information products. The Company obtains such technology and intellectual property rights from generally available commercial sources. The Company also utilizes generally available open source software and libraries for internal use and also, subject to appropriately permissive open source licenses, to carry out routine functions in certain of the Company’s software products. Most of such technology and intellectual property is available from a variety of sources. Although certain financial information (particularly security identifiers, certain pricing or index data, and certain company financial data in selected geographic markets sourced by Bureau van Dijk) is available from a limited number of sources, Moody’s does not believe it is dependent on any one data source for a material aspect of its business.

The names of Moody’s products and services referred to herein are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks or service marks owned by or licensed to Moody’s or one or more of its subsidiaries. The Company owns two patents. None of the Intellectual Property is subject to a specific expiration date, except to the extent that the patents and the copyright in items that the Company authors (such as credit reports, research, software, and other written opinions) expire pursuant to relevant law.

The Company considers its Intellectual Property to be proprietary, and Moody’s relies on a combination of copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, non-disclosure and other contractual safeguards for protection. Moody’s also pursues instances of third-party infringement of its Intellectual Property in order to protect the Company’s rights.

EMPLOYEES

As of December 31, 2018 the number of full-time equivalent employees of Moody’s was approximately 13,000.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Moody’s investor relations internet website is http://ir.moodys.com/. Under the “SEC Filings” tab at this website, the Company makes available free of charge its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

The SEC maintains an internet site that contains annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and other information statements that the Company files electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s internet site is http://www.sec.gov/.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

The following risk factors and other information included in this annual report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones the Company faces. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the Company’s management currently deems minor or insignificant also may impair its business operations. If any of the following risks occur, Moody’s business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. These risk factors should be read in conjunction with the other information in this annual report on Form 10-K.

U.S. Laws and Regulations Affecting the Credit Rating Industry and Moody’s Customers May Negatively Impact the Nature and Economics of the Company’s Business.

Moody’s operates in a highly regulated industry and is subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and local authorities in the U.S., including the Reform Act and the Financial Reform Act. These regulations are complex, continually evolving and have tended to become more stringent over time. See “Regulation” in Part 1, Item 1 of this annual report on Form 10-K for more information. These laws and regulations:

These laws and regulations, and any future rulemaking or court rulings, could result in reduced demand for credit ratings and increased costs, which Moody’s may be unable to pass through to customers. In addition, there may be uncertainty over the scope, interpretation and administration of such laws and regulations. The Company may be required to incur significant expenses in order to ensure compliance and mitigate the risk of fines, penalties or other sanctions. Legal proceedings could become increasingly lengthy and there may be uncertainty over and exposure to liability. It is difficult to accurately assess the future impact of legislative and regulatory requirements on Moody’s business and its customers’ businesses. For example, new laws and regulations may affect MIS’s communications with issuers as part of the rating assignment process, alter the manner in which MIS’s ratings are developed, assigned and communicated, affect the manner in which MIS or its customers or users of credit ratings operate, impact the demand for MIS’s ratings and alter the economics of the credit ratings business, including by restricting or mandating business models for rating agencies. Further, speculation concerning the impact of legislative and regulatory initiatives and the increased uncertainty over potential liability and adverse legal or judicial determinations may negatively affect Moody’s stock price. Although these legislative and regulatory initiatives apply to rating agencies and credit markets generally, they may affect Moody’s in a disproportionate manner. Each of these developments increase the costs and legal risk associated with the issuance of credit ratings and may have a material adverse effect on Moody’s operations, profitability and competitiveness, the demand for credit ratings and the manner in which such ratings are utilized.

In addition, MA derives a significant amount of its sales in the ERS and Professional Services segments from banks and other financial services providers who are subject to regulatory oversight. U.S. banking regulators, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Board, as well as many state agencies have issued guidance to insured depository institutions and other providers of financial services on assessing and managing risks associated with third-party relationships, which include all business arrangements between a financial services provider and another entity, by contract or otherwise, and generally requires banks and financial services providers to exercise comprehensive oversight throughout each phase of a bank or financial service provider’s business arrangement with third-party service providers, and instructs banks and financial service providers to adopt risk management processes commensurate with the level of risk and complexity of their third-party relationships. In light of this, MA’s existing or potential bank and financial services customers subject to this guidance may continue to revise their third-party risk management policies and processes and the terms on which they do business with MA, which may delay or reduce sales to such customers, adversely affect MA’s relationship with such customers, increase the costs of doing business with such customers and/or result in MA assuming greater financial and legal risk under service agreements with such customers.

Financial Reforms Outside the U.S. Affecting the Credit Rating Industry and Moody’s Customers May Negatively Impact the Nature and Economics of the Company’s Business.

In addition to the extensive and evolving U.S. laws and regulations governing the industry, foreign jurisdictions have taken measures to increase regulation of rating agencies and the markets for ratings. In particular, the EU has adopted a common regulatory framework

for rating agencies operating in the EU. As a result, ESMA has direct supervisory authority for CRAs in the EU and has the power to take enforcement action against non-compliant CRAs, including through the issuance of public notices, withdrawal of registration and, in some cases, the imposition of fines. Although the Commission published a report in 2016 concluding that no new European legislation was needed for the industry at that time, the report also stated that it would continue to monitor the credit rating industry and analyze approaches that may strengthen existing regulation. For example, in 2018, ESMA published final guidance on the applicability of EU regulation to endorsed ratings which became effective on January 1, 2019. See “Regulation” in Part 1, Item 1 of this annual report on Form 10-K for more information.

MIS is a registered entity and is therefore subject to formal regulation and periodic inspection in the EU. Applicable rules include procedural requirements with respect to ratings of sovereign issuers, liability for intentional or grossly negligent failure to abide by applicable regulations, mandatory rotation requirements of CRAs hired by issuers of securities for ratings of resecuritizations, and restrictions on CRAs or their shareholders if certain ownership thresholds are crossed. Additional procedural and substantive requirements include conditions for the issuance of credit ratings, rules regarding the organization of CRAs, restrictions on activities deemed to create a conflict of interest, including fees that are based on costs and are non-discriminatory, and special requirements for the rating of structured finance instruments. Compliance with the EU regulations may increase costs of operations and could have a significant negative effect on Moody’s operations, profitability or ability to compete, or the markets for its products and services, including in ways that Moody’s presently is unable to predict. In addition, exposure to increased liability under the EU regulations may further increase costs and legal risks associated with the issuance of credit ratings and materially and adversely impact Moody’s results of operations.

In addition, regulators in Europe and other foreign markets in which MA is active have issued guidance similar to that issued in the U.S. relating to financial institutions’ assessment and management of risks associated with third-party relationships. Such guidelines include the Committee of European Banking Supervisors Guidelines on Outsourcing and the European Banking Authority Recommendations on Outsourcing to Cloud Providers (each of which is expected to be superseded by the European Banking Authority’s Guidelines on Outsourcing, currently under development and expected to be issued in early 2019). In light of this, MA’s existing or potential bank and financial services customers subject to this guidance may continue to revise their third-party risk management policies and processes and the terms on which they do business with MA, which may delay or reduce sales to such customers, adversely affect MA’s relationship with such customers, increase the costs of doing business with such customers and/or result in MA assuming greater financial and legal risk under service agreements with such customers.

The EU and other jurisdictions engage in rulemaking on an ongoing basis that could significantly impact operations or the markets for Moody’s products and services, including regulations extending to products and services not currently regulated and regulations affecting the need for debt securities to be rated, expansion of supervisory remit to include non-EU ratings used for regulatory purposes, increasing the level of competition in the market for credit ratings, establishing criteria for credit ratings or limiting the entities authorized to provide credit ratings, and laws and regulations related to collection, use, accuracy, correction and sharing of personal information by CRAs. Additionally, as of the date of the filing of this annual report on Form 10-K, there remains uncertainty regarding the impact that Brexit will have on the credit rating industry within the U.K., the EU and other jurisdictions. Although Moody’s will monitor these developments, Moody’s cannot predict the extent of such future laws and regulations, and the effect that they will have on Moody’s business or the potential for increased exposure to liability could be significant. Financial reforms in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions may have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company Faces Exposure to Litigation and Government Regulatory Proceedings, Investigations and Inquiries Related to Rating Opinions and Other Business Practices.

Moody’s faces exposure to litigation and government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries related to MIS’s ratings actions, as well as other business practices and products. If the market value of credit-dependent instruments declines or defaults, whether as a result of difficult economic times, turbulent markets or otherwise, the number of investigations and legal proceedings that Moody’s faces could increase significantly. Parties who invest in securities rated by MIS may pursue claims against MIS or Moody’s for losses they face in their portfolios. Moody’s has faced numerous class action lawsuits and other litigation, government investigations and inquiries concerning events linked to the U.S. subprime residential mortgage sector and broader deterioration in the credit markets during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Legal proceedings impose additional expenses on the Company and require the attention of senior management to an extent that may significantly reduce their ability to devote time addressing other business issues, and any of these proceedings, investigations or inquiries could ultimately result in adverse judgments, damages, fines, penalties or activity restrictions. Risks relating to legal proceedings may be heightened in foreign jurisdictions that lack the legal protections or liability standards comparable to those that exist in the U.S. In addition, new laws and regulations have been and may continue to be enacted that establish lower liability standards, shift the burden of proof or relax pleading requirements, thereby increasing the risk of successful litigations in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions. These litigation risks are often difficult to assess or quantify. Moody’s may not have adequate insurance or reserves to cover these risks, and the existence and magnitude of these risks often remains unknown for substantial periods of time. Furthermore, to the extent that Moody’s is unable to achieve dismissals at an early stage and litigation matters proceed to trial, the aggregate legal defense costs incurred by Moody’s increase substantially, as does the risk of an adverse outcome.

Additionally, as litigation or the process to resolve pending matters progresses, Moody’s will continue to review the latest information available and may change its accounting estimates, which could require Moody’s to record liabilities in the consolidated financial statements in future periods. See Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements for more information regarding ongoing investigations and civil litigation that the Company currently faces. Due to the number of these proceedings and the significant amount of damages sought, there is a risk that Moody’s will be subject to judgments, settlements, fines, penalties or other adverse results that could have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company is Exposed to Legal, Economic, Operational and Regulatory Risks of Operating in Multiple Jurisdictions.

Moody’s conducts operations in various countries outside the U.S. and derives a significant portion of its revenue from foreign sources. Changes in the economic condition of the various foreign economies in which the Company operates may have an impact on the Company’s business. For example, economic uncertainty in the Eurozone or elsewhere, including in Latin America, could affect the number of securities offerings undertaken within those particular areas. In addition, operations abroad expose Moody’s to a number of legal, economic and regulatory risks such as:

Additionally, Moody’s is subject to complex U.S., foreign and other local laws and regulations that are applicable to its operations abroad, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Although the Company has implemented internal controls, policies and procedures and employee training and compliance programs to deter prohibited practices, such measures may not be effective in preventing employees, contractors or agents from violating or circumventing such internal policies and violating applicable laws and regulations. Any determination that the Company has violated anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition. Compliance with international and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to the Company’s international operations increases the cost of doing business in foreign jurisdictions. Violations of such laws and regulations may result in severe fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, administrative remedies, restrictions on business conduct and could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s reputation, its ability to attract and retain employees, its business, operating results and financial condition.

Moody’s Operations and Infrastructure May Malfunction or Fail.

Moody’s ability to conduct business may be materially and adversely impacted by a disruption in the infrastructure that supports its businesses and the communities in which Moody’s is located, including New York City, the location of Moody’s headquarters, major cities worldwide in which Moody’s has offices, and locations in China used for certain Moody’s back office work. This may include a disruption involving physical or technological infrastructure (whether or not controlled by the Company), including the Company’s electronic delivery systems, data center facilities, or the Internet, used by the Company or third parties with or through whom Moody’s conducts business. Many of the Company’s products and services are delivered electronically and the Company’s customers depend on the Company’s ability to receive, store, process, transmit and otherwise rapidly handle very substantial quantities of data and transactions on computer-based networks. Some of Moody’s operations require complex processes and, although the Company has instituted extensive controls to reduce the risk of error inherent in our operations, such risk cannot be completely eliminated. The Company’s customers also depend on the continued capacity, reliability and security of the Company’s telecommunications, data centers, networks and other electronic delivery systems, including its websites and connections to the Internet. The Company’s employees also depend on these systems for internal use. Any significant failure, compromise, cyber-breach, interruption or a significant slowdown of operations of the Company’s infrastructure, whether due to human error, capacity constraints, hardware failure or defect, natural disasters, fire, power loss, telecommunication failures, break-ins, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism, acts of terrorism, political unrest, war or otherwise, may impair the Company’s ability to deliver its products and services.

Moody’s efforts to secure and plan for potential disruptions of its major operating systems may not be successful. The Company relies on third-party providers to provide certain essential services. While the Company believes that such providers are reliable, the Company has limited control over the performance of such providers. To the extent any of the Company’s third-party providers ceases to provide these services in an efficient, cost-effective manner or fails to adequately expand its services to meet the Company’s needs and the needs of the Company’s customers, the Company could experience lower revenues and higher costs. Additionally, although the Company maintains processes to prevent, detect and recover from a disruption, the Company also does not have fully redundant systems for most of its smaller office locations and low-risk systems, and its disaster recovery plan does not include restoration of non-essential services. If a disruption occurs in one of Moody’s locations or systems and its personnel in those locations or those who rely on such systems are unable to utilize other systems or communicate with or travel to other locations, such persons’ ability to service and interact with Moody’s customers may suffer. The Company cannot predict with certainty all of the adverse effects that could result from the Company’s failure, or the failure of a third party, to efficiently address and resolve these delays and interruptions. A disruption to Moody’s operations or infrastructure may have a material adverse effect on its reputation, business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company is Exposed to Risks Related to Cybersecurity and Protection of Confidential Information.

The Company’s operations rely on the secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential, sensitive, proprietary and other types of information relating to its business operations and confidential and sensitive information about its customers and employees in the Company’s computer systems and networks, and in those of its third party vendors. The cyber risks the Company faces range from cyber-attacks common to most industries, to more advanced threats that target the Company because of its prominence in the global marketplace, or due to its ratings of sovereign debt. Breaches of Moody’s or Moody’s vendors’ technology and systems, whether from circumvention of security systems, denial-of-service attacks or other cyber-attacks, hacking, “phishing” attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, or malware, employee or insider error, malfeasance, social engineering, physical breaches or other actions, may result in manipulation or corruption of sensitive data, material interruptions or malfunctions in the Company’s or such vendors’ web sites, applications, data processing, or disruption of other business operations, or may compromise the confidentiality and integrity of material information held by the Company (including information about Moody’s business, employees or customers), as well as sensitive personally identifiable information (PII), the disclosure of which could lead to identity theft. Measures that Moody’s takes to avoid, detect, mitigate or recover from material incidents can be expensive, and may be insufficient, circumvented, or may become ineffective. To conduct its operations, the Company regularly moves data across national borders, and consequently is subject to a variety of continuously evolving and developing laws and regulations in the United States and abroad regarding privacy, data protection and data security. The scope of the laws that may be applicable to Moody’s is often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective on May 25, 2018, greatly increased the jurisdictional reach of European Union privacy law and added a broad array of requirements for processing personal data, including the public disclosure of significant data breaches. Failure to comply with GDPR requirements could result in penalties of up to 4% of annual worldwide revenue. Additionally, other countries have enacted or are enacting data localization laws that require data to stay within their borders. Further, California recently enacted legislation, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), that will, among other things, require covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers, and afford such consumers new abilities to opt-out of certain sales of personal information, when it goes into effect on January 1, 2020. Legislators have stated that they intend to propose amendments to the CCPA before it goes into effect, and it remains unclear what, if any, modifications will be made to this legislation or how it will be interpreted. The effects of the CCPA potentially are significant, however, and may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur substantial costs and expenses. All of these evolving

compliance and operational requirements have required changes to certain business practices, thereby increasing costs, may result in negative publicity or increased operating costs, require significant management time and attention, and subject the Company to remedies that may harm its business, including fines or demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices, and expose it to litigation, regulatory actions, sanctions or other statutory penalties.

The Company has invested and continues to invest in risk management and information security measures in order to protect its systems and data, including employee training, disaster plans, and technical defenses. The cost and operational consequences of implementing, maintaining and enhancing further data or system protection measures could increase significantly to overcome increasingly intense, complex, and sophisticated global cyber threats. Despite the Company’s best efforts, it is not fully insulated from data breaches and system disruptions. Recent well-publicized security breaches at other companies have led to enhanced government and regulatory scrutiny of the measures taken by companies to protect against cyber-attacks, and may in the future result in heightened cybersecurity requirements, including additional regulatory expectations for oversight of vendors and service providers. Any material breaches of cybersecurity, including the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unapproved dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive or confidential data, or media reports of perceived security vulnerabilities to the Company’s systems or those of the Company’s third parties, even if no breach has been attempted or occurred, could cause the Company to experience reputational harm, loss of customers and revenue, fines, regulatory actions and scrutiny, sanctions or other statutory penalties, litigation, liability for failure to safeguard the Company’s customers’ information, or financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by the Company. Any of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company is Dependent on the Use of Third-Party Software, Data, Hosted Solutions, Data Centers, Cloud and Network Infrastructure (Together, “Third Party Technology”), and Any Reduction in Third-Party Product Quality or Service Offerings, Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s Business, Financial Condition or Results of Operations.

Moody’s relies on Third Party Technology in connection with its product development and offerings and operations. The Company depends on the ability of Third Party Technology providers to deliver and support reliable products, enhance their current products, develop new products on a timely and cost-effective basis, and respond to emerging industry standards and other technological changes. The Third Party Technology Moody’s uses may become obsolete, incompatible with future versions of the Company’s products, unavailable or fail to operate effectively, and Moody’s business could be adversely affected if the Company is unable to timely or effectively replace such Third Party Technology. The Company also monitors its use of Third Party Technology to comply with applicable license and other contractual requirements. Despite the Company’s efforts, the Company cannot ensure that such third parties will permit Moody’s use in the future, resulting in increased Third Party Technology acquisition costs and loss of rights. In addition, the Company’s operating costs could increase if license or other usage fees for Third Party Technology increase or the efforts to incorporate enhancements to Third Party Technology are substantial. Some of these third-party suppliers are also Moody’s competitors, increasing the risks noted above. If any of these risks materialize, they could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

Changes in the Volume of Debt Securities Issued in Domestic and/or Global Capital Markets, Asset Levels and Flows into Investment Levels and Changes in Interest Rates and Other Volatility in the Financial Markets May Negatively Impact the Nature and Economics of the Company’s Business.

Moody’s business is impacted by general economic conditions and volatility in the U.S. and world financial markets. Furthermore, issuers of debt securities may elect to issue securities without ratings or securities which are rated or evaluated by non-traditional parties such as financial advisors, rather than traditional CRAs, such as MIS. A majority of Moody’s credit-rating-based revenue is transaction-based, and therefore it is especially dependent on the number and dollar volume of debt securities issued in the capital markets. Market disruptions and economic slowdown and uncertainty have in the past, and may in the future, negatively impacted the volume of debt securities issued in global capital markets and the demand for credit ratings. The Tax Act, in addition to other changes to U.S. tax laws and policy, could negatively affect the volume of debt securities issued in the U.S. For example, the Tax Act limits deductibility on interest payments and significantly reduce the tax cost associated with the repatriation of cash held outside the U.S., both of which could negatively affect the volume of debt securities issued. Conditions that reduce issuers’ ability or willingness to issue debt securities, such as market volatility, declining growth, currency devaluations or other adverse economic trends, reduce the number and dollar-equivalent volume of debt issuances for which Moody’s provides ratings services and thereby adversely affect the fees Moody’s earns in its ratings business.

Economic and government factors such as a long-term continuation of difficult economic conditions, a re-emergence of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, the ultimate Brexit outcome and current uncertainty in various other jurisdictions, may have an adverse impact on the Company’s business. Future debt issuances also could be negatively affected by increases in interest rates, widening credit spreads, regulatory and political developments, growth in the use of alternative sources of credit, and defaults by significant issuers. Declines or other changes in the markets for debt securities may materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, operating results and financial condition.

Moody’s initiatives to reduce costs to counteract a decline in its business may not be sufficient and cost reductions may be difficult or impossible to obtain in the short term, due in part to rent, technology, compliance and other fixed costs associated with some of the Company’s operations as well as the need to monitor outstanding ratings. Further, cost-reduction initiatives, including those under-taken to date, could make it difficult for the Company to rapidly expand operations in order to accommodate any unexpected increase in the demand for ratings. Volatility in the financial markets, including changes in the volumes of debt securities and changes in interest rates, may have a material adverse effect on the business, operating results and financial condition, which the Company may not be able to successfully offset with cost reductions.

The Company Faces Increased Pricing Pressure from Competitors and/or Customers.

There is price competition in the credit rating, research, credit risk management markets, research and analytical services and financial training and certification services. Moody’s faces competition globally from other CRAs and from investment banks and brokerage firms that offer credit opinions in research, as well as from in-house research operations. Competition for customers and market share has spurred more aggressive tactics by some competitors in areas such as pricing and services, as well as increased competition from non-NRSROs that evaluate debt risk for issuers or investors. At the same time, a challenging business environment and consolidation among customers, particularly those involved in structured finance products, and other factors affecting demand may enhance the market power of competitors and reduce the Company’s customer base. Weak economic growth intensifies competitive pricing pressures and can result in customers’ use of free or lower-cost information that is available from alternative sources or their development of alternative, proprietary systems for assessing credit risk that replace the products currently purchased from Moody’s. While Moody’s seeks to compete primarily on the basis of the quality of its products and services, it may lose market share if its pricing is not sufficiently competitive. In addition, the Reform Act was designed to encourage competition among rating agencies. The formation of additional NRSROs may increase pricing and competitive pressures. Furthermore, in some of the countries in which Moody’s operates, governments may provide financial or other support to local rating agencies. Any inability of Moody’s to compete successfully with respect to the pricing of its products and services could have a material adverse impact on its business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company is Exposed to Reputation and Credibility Concerns.

Moody’s reputation and the strength of its brand are key competitive strengths. To the extent that the rating agency business as a whole or Moody’s, relative to its competitors, suffers a loss in credibility, Moody’s business could be significantly impacted. Factors that may have already affected credibility and could potentially continue to have an impact in this regard include the appearance of a conflict of interest, the performance of securities relative to the rating assigned to such securities, the timing and nature of changes in ratings, a major compliance failure, negative perceptions or publicity and increased criticism by users of ratings, regulators and legislative bodies, including as to the ratings process and its implementation with respect to one or more securities and intentional or unintentional misrepresentations of Moody’s products and services in advertising materials, public relations information, social media or other external communications. Operational errors, whether by Moody’s or a Moody’s competitor, could also harm the reputation of the Company or the credit rating industry. Damage to reputation and credibility could have a material adverse impact on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition, as well as on the Company’s ability to find suitable candidates for acquisition.

The Introduction of Competing Products or Technologies by Other Companies May Negatively Impact the Nature and Economics of the Company’s Business.

The markets for credit ratings, research, credit risk management services, research and analytical services and financial training and certification services are highly competitive and characterized by rapid technological change, changes in customer demands, and evolving regulatory requirements, industry standards and market preferences. The ability to develop and successfully launch and maintain innovative products and technologies that anticipate customers’ changing requirements and utilize emerging technological trends in a timely and cost-effective manner is a key factor in maintaining market share. Moody’s competitors include both established companies with significant financial resources, brand recognition, market experience and technological expertise, and smaller companies which may be better poised to quickly adopt new or emerging technologies or respond to customer requirements. Competitors may develop quantitative methodologies or related services for assessing credit risk that customers and market participants may deem preferable, more cost-effective or more valuable than the credit risk assessment methods currently employed by Moody’s, or may position, price or market their products in manners that differ from those utilized by Moody’s. Moody’s also competes indirectly against consulting firms and technology and information providers; these indirect competitors could in the future choose to compete directly with Moody’s, cease doing business with Moody’s or change the terms under which it does business with Moody’s in a way that could negatively impact our business. In addition, customers or others may develop alternative, proprietary systems for assessing credit risk. Such developments could affect demand for Moody’s products and services and its growth prospects. Further, the increased availability in recent years of free or relatively inexpensive internet information may reduce the demand for Moody’s products and services. Moody’s growth prospects also could be adversely affected by Moody’s failure to make necessary or optimal capital infrastructure expenditures and improvements and the inability of its information technologies to provide adequate capacity and capabilities to meet increased demands of producing quality ratings and research products at levels achieved by competitors. Any inability of Moody to compete successfully may have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results and financial condition.

Possible Loss of Key Employees and Related Compensation Cost Pressures May Negatively Impact the Company.

Moody’s success depends upon its ability to recruit, retain and motivate highly skilled, experienced financial analysts and other professionals. Competition for skilled individuals in the financial services industry is intense, and Moody’s ability to attract high quality employees could be impaired if it is unable to offer competitive compensation and other incentives or if the regulatory environment mandates restrictions on or disclosures about individual employees that would not be necessary in competing industries. As greater focus has been placed on executive compensation at public companies, in the future, Moody’s may be required to alter its compensation practices in ways that could adversely affect its ability to attract and retain talented employees. Investment banks, investors and competitors may seek to attract analyst talent by providing more favorable working conditions or offering significantly more attractive compensation packages than Moody’s. Moody’s also may not be able to identify and hire the appropriate qualified employees in some markets outside the U.S. with the required experience or skills to perform sophisticated credit analysis. Additionally, relocation and/or restaffing of employees due to Brexit could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain talent for our European operations. There is a risk that even if the Company invests significant resources in attempting to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, it will not succeed in its efforts, and its business could be harmed.

Moody’s is highly dependent on the continued services of Raymond W. McDaniel, Jr., the President and Chief Executive Officer, and other senior officers and key employees. The loss of the services of skilled personnel for any reason and Moody’s inability to replace them with suitable candidates quickly or at all, as well as any negative market perception resulting from such loss, could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition.

Moody’s Acquisitions, Dispositions and Other Strategic Transactions or Internal Technology Investments May Not Produce Anticipated Results Exposing the Company to Future Significant Impairment Charges Relating to its Goodwill, Intangible Assets or Property and Equipment.

Moody’s has entered into and expects to continue to enter into acquisition, disposition or other strategic transactions and expects to make various investments to strengthen its business and grow the Company. Such transactions as well as internal technology investments present significant challenges and risks. The market for acquisition targets, dispositions and other strategic transactions is highly competitive, especially in light of industry consolidation, which may affect Moody’s ability to complete such transactions and complete such transactions on favorable terms. If Moody’s is unsuccessful in completing such transactions on favorable terms or if opportunities for expansion do not arise, its business, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, the Company makes significant investments in technology including software developed for internal-use which is time-intensive and complex to implement. Such investments may not be successful or may not result in the anticipated benefits resulting in asset write-offs.

In August 2017, Moody’s acquired Bureau van Dijk for $3,542.0 million. The anticipated growth, synergies and other strategic objectives of the Bureau van Dijk acquisition, as well as other completed transactions, may not be fully realized, and a variety of factors may adversely affect any anticipated benefits from such transactions. Any strategic transaction can involve a number of risks, including unanticipated challenges regarding integration of operations, technologies and new employees; the existence of liabilities or contingencies not disclosed to or otherwise known by the Company prior to closing a transaction; unexpected regulatory and operating difficulties and expenditures; scrutiny from competition and antitrust authorities; failure to retain key personnel of the acquired business; future developments that impair the value of purchased goodwill or intangible assets; diversion of management’s focus from other business operations; failure to implement or remediate controls, procedures and policies appropriate for a larger public company at acquired companies that prior to the acquisition lacked such controls, procedures and policies; challenges retaining the customers of the acquired business; coordination of product, sales, marketing and program and systems management functions; integration of employees from the acquired business into Moody’s organization; integration of the acquired business’s accounting, information technology, human resources, legal and other administrative systems with Moody’s; and for foreign transactions, additional risks related to the integration of operations across different cultures and languages, and the economic, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries. The anticipated benefits from an acquisition or other strategic transaction may not be realized fully, or may take longer to realize than expected. As a result, the failure of acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions to perform as expected may have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition.

At December 31, 2018, Moody’s had $3,781.3 million of goodwill and $1,566.1 million of intangible assets on its balance sheet, both of which increased significantly due to the acquisition of Bureau van Dijk in 2017. Approximately 94% of the goodwill and intangible assets reside in the MA business, including those related to Bureau van Dijk, and are allocated to the six reporting units within MA: Content; ERS; MALS; MAKS; Bureau van Dijk; and Reis. The remaining 6% of goodwill and intangible assets reside in MIS and primarily relate to ICRA. Failure to achieve business objectives and financial projections in any of these reporting units could result in a significant asset impairment charge, which would result in a non-cash charge to operating expenses. Goodwill and intangible assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis and also when events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Determining whether an impairment of goodwill exists can be especially difficult in periods of market or economic uncertainty and turmoil, and requires significant management estimates and judgment. In addition, the potential for goodwill impairment is increased during periods of economic uncertainty. An asset impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, operating results and financial condition.

The Company’s Compliance and Risk Management Programs May Not be Effective and May Result in Outcomes That Could Adversely Affect the Company’s Reputation, Financial Condition and Operating Results.

Moody’s operates in a number of countries, and as a result the Company is required to comply and quickly adapt with numerous international and U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations. The Company’s ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including anti-corruption laws, is largely dependent on its establishment and maintenance of compliance, review and reporting systems, as well as its ability to attract and retain qualified compliance and risk management personnel. Moody’s policies and procedures to identify, evaluate and manage the Company’s risks, including risks resulting from acquisitions, may not be fully effective, and Moody’s employees or agents may engage in misconduct, fraud or other errors. It is not always possible to deter such errors, and the precautions the Company takes to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. If Moody’s employees violate its policies or if the Company’s risk management methods are not effective, the Company could be subject to criminal and civil liability, the suspension of the Company’s employees, fines, penalties, regulatory sanctions, injunctive relief, exclusion from certain markets or other penalties, and may suffer harm to its reputation, financial condition and operating results.

Legal Protections for the Company’s Intellectual Property Rights may not be Sufficient or Available to Protect the Company’s Competitive Advantages.

Moody’s considers many aspects of its products and services to be proprietary. Failure to protect the Company’s intellectual property adequately could harm its reputation and affect the Company’s ability to compete effectively. Businesses the Company acquires also involve intellectual property portfolios, which increase the challenges the Company faces in protecting its strategic advantage. In addition, the Company’s operating results may be adversely affected by inadequate or changing legal and technological protections for intellectual property and proprietary rights in some jurisdictions and markets. On January 6, 2015, a rule with direct relevance to the CRA industry was published in the Official Journal of the European Union regarding the types of information that CRAs are to provide about certain ratings (those that were paid for by issuers) for publication on a central website administered by ESMA (the European Ratings Platform). This rule directly relates to the Company’s intellectual property as it requires that the Company provide proprietary information at no cost that the Company currently sells, which could result in lost revenue. ESMA launched the European Rating Platform for public use on December 1, 2016.

Unauthorized third parties may also try to obtain and use technology or other information that the Company regards as proprietary. It is also possible that Moody’s competitors or other entities could obtain patents related to the types of products and services that Moody’s offers, and attempt to require Moody’s to stop developing or marketing the products or services, to modify or redesign the products or services to avoid infringing, or to obtain licenses from the holders of the patents in order to continue developing and marketing the products and services. Even if Moody’s attempts to assert or protect its intellectual property rights through litigation, it may require considerable cost, time and resources to do so, and there is no guarantee that the Company will be successful. The Company’s ability to establish, maintain and protect its intellectual property and proprietary rights against theft, misappropriation or infringement could be materially and adversely affected by insufficient and/or changing proprietary rights and intellectual property legal protections in some jurisdictions and markets. These risks, and the cost, time and resources needed to address them, may increase as the Company’s business grows and its profile rises in countries with intellectual property regimes that are less protective than the rules and regulations applied in the United States.

Changes in Tax Rates or Tax Rules Could Affect Future Results.

As a global company, Moody’s is subject to taxation in the United States and various other countries and jurisdictions. As a result, our effective tax rate is determined based on the pre-tax income and applicable tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which the Company operates. Moody’s future tax rates could be affected by changes in the composition of earnings in countries or states with differing tax rates or other factors, including by increased earnings in jurisdictions where Moody’s faces higher tax rates, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which Moody’s is not able to realize the related tax benefit, or changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in the tax, accounting and other laws, treaties, regulations, policies and administrative practices, or changes to their interpretation or enforcement, including changes applicable to multinational corporations such as the Base Erosion Profit Shifting initiative being conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which requires companies to disclose more information to tax authorities on operations around the world, and the European Union’s state aid rulings, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s effective tax rate, results of operations and financial condition and may lead to greater audit scrutiny of profits earned in various countries.

For example, the Tax Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal tax laws. Many aspects of the new legislation are currently uncertain or unclear and may not be clarified for some time. As additional regulatory guidance is issued interpreting or clarifying the Tax Act or if the tax accounting rules are modified, there may be adjustments or changes to the Company’s determination of its mandatory one-time deemed repatriation tax liability (“transition tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries recorded in 2017. Additional regulatory guidance may also affect the Company’s expected future effective tax rates and tax assets and liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Furthermore, the Tax Act may impact the volume of debt securities issued as discussed in the Risk Factor, Changes in the Volume of

Debt Securities Issued in Domestic and/or Global Capital Markets, Asset Levels and Flows into Investment Levels and Changes in Interest Rates and Other Volatility in the Financial Markets May Negatively Impact the Nature and Economics of the Company’s Business.

In addition, Moody’s is subject to regular examination of its income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities, and the Company is experiencing increased scrutiny as its business grows. Moody’s regularly assesses the likelihood of favorable or unfavorable outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for income taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits; however, developments in an audit or litigation could materially and adversely affect the Company. Although the Company believes its tax estimates and accruals are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any final determination will not be materially different than the treatment reflected in its historical income tax provisions, accruals and unrecognized tax benefits, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, operating results, cash flows and financial condition.

None.

Moody’s corporate headquarters is located at 7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10007, with approximately 797,537 square feet of leased space. As of December 31, 2018, Moody’s operations were conducted from 21 U.S. offices and 105 non-U.S. office locations, all of which are leased. These properties are geographically distributed to meet operating and sales requirements worldwide. These properties are generally considered to be both suitable and adequate to meet current operating requirements.

For information regarding legal proceedings, see Part II, Item 8 –“Financial Statements”, Note 20 “Contingencies” in this Form 10-K.

Not applicable.

PART II

Information in response to this Item is set forth under the captions below.

MOODY’S PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

For the three months ended December 31, 2018:

During the fourth quarter of 2018, Moody’s issued a net 57 thousand shares under employee stock-based compensation plans.

COMMON STOCK INFORMATION

The Company’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MCO”. The number of registered shareholders of record at January 31, 2019 was 1,902. A substantially greater number of the Company’s common stock is held by beneficial holders whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The table below sets forth, as of December 31, 2018, certain information regarding the Company’s equity compensation plans.

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph compares the total cumulative shareholder return of the Company to the performance of Standard & Poor’s Stock 500 Composite Index and the Russell 3000 Financial Services Index. Both of the aforementioned indexes are easily accessible to the Company’s shareholders in newspapers, the internet and other readily available sources for purposes of the following graph.

The comparison assumes that $100.00 was invested in the Company’s common stock and in each of the foregoing indices on December 31, 2013. The comparison also assumes the reinvestment of dividends, if any. The total return for the common stock was 90% during the performance period as compared with a total return during the same period of 101% for the Russell 3000 Financial Services Index and 50% for the S&P 500 Composite Index.

Comparison of Cumulative Total Return

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN

Among Moody’s Corporation, the S&P 500 Index

and the Russell 3000 Financial Services Index

The comparisons in the graph above are provided in response to disclosure requirements of the SEC and are not intended to forecast or be indicative of future performance of the Company’s common stock.

The Company’s selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with Item 7. “MD&A” and the Moody’s Corporation consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

This discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Moody’s Corporation consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

This MD&A contains Forward-Looking Statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” commencing on page 57 and Item  1A. “Risk Factors” commencing on page 17 for a discussion of uncertainties, risks and other factors associated with these statements.

THE COMPANY

Moody’s is a provider of (i) credit ratings; (ii) credit, capital markets and economic research, data and analytical tools; (iii) software solutions that support financial risk management activities; (iv) quantitatively derived credit scores; (v) learning solutions and certification services; (vi) offshore financial research and analytical services; and (vii) company information and business intelligence products. Moody’s reports in two reportable segments: MIS and MA.

MIS, the credit rating agency, publishes credit ratings on a wide range of debt obligations and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide. Revenue is primarily derived from the originators and issuers of such transactions who use MIS ratings in the distribution of their debt issues to investors. Additionally, MIS earns revenue from certain non-ratings-related operations, which consist primarily of financial instrument pricing services in the Asia-Pacific region as well as revenue from ICRA’s non-ratings operations. The revenue from these operations is included in the MIS Other LOB and is not material to the results of the MIS segment.

The MA segment develops a wide range of products and services that support financial analysis and risk management activities of institutional participants in global financial markets. Within its RD&A business, MA offers subscription based research, data and analytical products, including credit ratings produced by MIS, credit research, quantitative credit scores and other analytical tools, economic research and forecasts, business intelligence and company information products, and commercial real estate data and analytical tools. Within its ERS business, MA provides software solutions as well as related risk management services. The PS business provides offshore analytical and research services along with learning solutions and certification programs.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Moody’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and results of operations are based on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires Moody’s to make estimates and judgments that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. These estimates are based on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, Moody’s evaluates its estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, accounts receivable allowances, contingencies, restructuring, goodwill and acquired intangible assets, pension and other retirement benefits, and income taxes. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The following accounting estimates are considered critical because they are particularly dependent on management’s judgment about matters that are uncertain at the time the accounting estimates are made and changes to those estimates could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

Goodwill and Other Acquired Intangible Assets

On July 31st of each year, Moody’s evaluates its goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, defined as an operating segment (i.e., MIS and MA), or one level below an operating segment (i.e., a component of an operating segment).

The Company has eight primary reporting units: two within the Company’s ratings business (one for the ICRA business and one that encompasses all of Moody’s other ratings operations) and six reporting units within MA: Content, ERS, MALS (formerly FSTC), MAKS, Bureau van Dijk and Reis. The Content reporting unit offers subscription based research, data and analytical products, including credit ratings produced by MIS, credit research, quantitative credit scores and other analytical tools, economic research and forecasts, business intelligence and company information products, and credit analytical tools. The ERS reporting unit provides products and services that support the credit risk management and regulatory compliance activities of financial institutions and also provides advanced actuarial software for the life insurance industry. These products and services are primarily delivered via software that is licensed on a perpetual basis or sold on a subscription basis. The MALS reporting unit consists of the portion of the MA business that offers both credit training as well as other professional development training. The MAKS reporting unit provides offshore research and analytical services. The Bureau van Dijk reporting unit consists of the Bureau van Dijk business, which was acquired on August 10, 2017, and primarily provides business intelligence and company information products. The Reis reporting unit, consists of the newly acquired Reis business, and provides commercial real estate market information and analytical tools.

The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill using a two-step impairment test approach at the reporting unit level. In the first step, the Company assesses various qualitative factors to determine whether the fair value of a reporting unit may be less than its carrying amount. If a determination is made based on the qualitative factors that an impairment does not exist, the Company is not required to perform further testing. If the aforementioned qualitative assessment results in the Company concluding that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit may be less than its carrying amount, the fair value of the reporting unit will be quantitatively determined and compared to its carrying value including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets assigned to that unit, goodwill is not impaired and the Company is not required to perform further testing. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, the Company will record a goodwill impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value in accordance with ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”. The Company evaluates its reporting units on an annual basis, or more frequently if there are changes in the reporting structure of the Company due to acquisitions, realignments or if there are indicators of potential impairment. For the reporting units where the Company is consistently able to conclude that no impairment exists using only a qualitative approach, the Company’s accounting policy is to perform the second step of the aforementioned goodwill impairment assessment at least once every three years.

At July 31, 2018, the Company performed quantitative assessments of the ERS, MALS, MAKS and ICRA reporting units and a qualitative assessment for the remaining reporting units. No quantitative assessment resulted in the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeding its fair value. Each qualitative analysis resulted in the Company determining that it was not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit was less than its carrying amount.

The Company quantitatively tested the ERS, MALS, MAKS and ICRA reporting units as of July 31, 2018 due to the factors outlined below:

Determining the fair value of a reporting unit or an indefinite-lived acquired intangible asset (including its estimated useful life) involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions include projections of future operating results and cash flows of each reporting unit that are based on internal budgets and strategic plans, expected long-term growth rates, terminal values, weighted average cost of capital, the effects of external factors and market conditions as well as appropriate comparable market metrics. However, as these estimates and assumptions are unpredictable and inherently uncertain, actual future results may differ from these estimates and the time frame of such changes may be rapid. In addition, the Company also makes certain judgments and assumptions in allocating shared assets and liabilities to determine the carrying values for each of its reporting units.

Other assets and liabilities, including applicable corporate assets, are allocated to the extent they are related to the operation of respective reporting units.

Sensitivity Analyses and Key Assumptions for Deriving the Fair Value of a Reporting Unit

The following table identifies the amount of goodwill allocated to each reporting unit as of December 31, 2018 and the amount by which the net assets of each reporting unit would exceed the fair value under Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test as prescribed in ASC Topic 350, assuming hypothetical reductions in their fair values as of the date of the last quantitative goodwill impairment assessment for each reporting unit (July 31, 2018 for ERS, MALS, MAKS and ICRA; July 31, 2016 for MIS and Content).

Methodologies and significant estimates utilized in determining the fair value of reporting units:

The following is a discussion regarding the Company’s methodology for determining the fair value of its reporting units, excluding ICRA, as of the date of each reporting unit’s last quantitative assessment (July 31, 2018 for ERS, MALS, and MAKS and July 31, 2016 for MIS and Content). As ICRA is a publicly traded company in India, the Company was able to observe its fair value based on its market capitalization.

The fair value of each reporting unit, excluding ICRA, was estimated using a discounted cash flow methodology and comparable public company and precedent transaction multiples. The discounted cash flow analysis requires significant estimates, including projections of future operating results and cash flows of each reporting unit that are based on internal budgets and strategic plans, expected long-term growth rates, terminal values, weighted average cost of capital and the effects of external factors and market conditions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the estimated fair value of each reporting unit that could result in an impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of goodwill, which could be material to the Company’s financial position and results of operations. Moody’s allocates newly acquired goodwill to reporting units based on the reporting unit expected to benefit from the acquisition.

The sensitivity analyses on the future cash flows and WACC assumptions described below are as of each reporting unit’s last quantitative goodwill impairment assessment. The following discusses the key assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow valuation methodology that requires significant management judgment:

Income Taxes

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. The Company’s tax assets and liabilities are affected by the amounts charged for services provided and expenses incurred as well as other tax matters such as intercompany transactions. The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC Topic 740. Therefore, income tax expense is based on reported income before income taxes, and deferred income taxes reflect the effect of temporary differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities that are recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts that are recognized for income tax purposes.

The Company is subject to tax audits in various jurisdictions. The Company regularly assesses the likely outcomes of such audits in order to determine the appropriateness of liabilities for UTPs. The Company classifies interest related to income taxes as a component of interest expense in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and associated penalties, if any, as part of other non-operating expenses.

For UTPs, ASC Topic 740 requires a company to first determine whether it is more-likely-than-not (defined as a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that a tax position will be sustained based on its technical merits as of the reporting date, assuming that taxing authorities will examine the position and have full knowledge of all relevant information. A tax position that meets this more-likely-than-not threshold is then measured and recognized at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely to be realized upon effective settlement with a taxing authority. As the determination of liabilities related to UTPs and associated interest and penalties requires significant estimates to be made by the Company, there can be no assurance that the Company will accurately predict the outcomes of these audits, and thus the eventual outcomes could have a material impact on the Company’s operating results or financial condition.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Act was signed into law, which resulted in significant changes to U.S. corporate tax laws. The Tax Act includes a mandatory one-time deemed repatriation tax (“transition tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries and reduces the statutory federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. Due to the complexities involved in applying the provisions of the Tax Act, in 2017 the Company recorded a provisional estimate of $247.3 million related to the transition tax in 2017. In 2018, the IRS issued notices clarifying certain aspects of the transition tax. As a result, the Company reduced its provision for the transition tax by $10.9 million. The IRS may issue additional regulations or notices in future periods to clarify or amend provisions of the Tax Act and such guidance could result in revisions in future periods to the amounts recorded for the existing provisions and interpretations of the Tax Act. In addition, in 2018 the Company recorded a deferred tax asset of $48.1 million related to potential foreign tax credits which could be realized if certain UTPs resulted in tax assessments. The transition tax liability reported on the Company’s 2017 tax return is payable over eight years starting in 2018 and will not accrue interest. Due to the reduction in U.S. corporate income tax rates beginning in 2018, a decrease of $56.2 million was recorded to net deferred tax assets in 2017. The above amounts may be impacted by a number of additional considerations, including but not limited to the issuance of regulations and the Company’s ongoing analysis of the new law.

Pursuant to the Tax Act being signed into law, all previously undistributed foreign earnings became subject to U.S. tax. In light of U.S tax reform, the Company has reassessed its capital allocation strategy, including reevaluating its global cash position and revising its plans for repatriating or reinvesting foreign earnings. The Company regularly evaluates in which entities it will indefinitely reinvest earnings outside the U.S. The Company has provided non-U.S. deferred taxes for those entities whose earnings are not considered indefinitely reinvested outside of the U.S.

Revenue Recognition and Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer

Revenue is recognized when control of promised goods or services is transferred to the customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

The discussion below outlines areas of the Company’s revenue recognition process that require significant management judgment and estimates. Refer to Note 2 of the consolidated financial statements for a comprehensive discussion regarding the Company’s accounting policies relating to the recognition of revenue and costs to obtain a contract with a customer.

Determination of performance obligations:

When contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations, the Company accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are distinct.

In the Company’s MIS segment, revenue arrangements with multiple elements are generally comprised of two distinct performance obligations, initial rating fees and the related monitoring services. Revenue attributed to initial ratings of issued securities is generally recognized when the rating is delivered to the issuer, whereas revenue from monitoring related to MIS’s ratings is recognized ratably over the period in which the monitoring is performed.

In the MA segment, contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. When arrangements for software, content or SaaS licenses also include related implementation services, the Company may be required to exercise significant judgment in determining the level of integration and interdependency between the promise to grant the software license and the promise to deliver the related implementation services. This determination influences whether the software license is considered distinct and accounted for separately (with revenue generally being recognized at the time the product master or first copy is delivered or transferred to the customer), or not distinct and accounted for together with the implementation services (with revenue being recognized on a percentage-of-completion basis as implementation services are performed).

Allocating consideration to performance obligations:

Management judgment is also required in the determination of the SSP, which is utilized to allocate the consideration from a contract with a customer to each distinct performance obligation.

In the MIS segment, the Company allocates the transaction price within arrangements that include multiple elements based upon the relative SSP of each service at contract inception. The SSP for monitoring fees in these arrangements is generally based upon directly observable selling prices where the monitoring service is sold separately. The Company generally utilizes management’s best estimate of SSP for initial rating fees and considers all available data points. MIS generally provides initial ratings only in transactions with customers that include monitoring services related to the rating.

In the MA segment, revenue is generally allocated to all performance obligations based upon the relative SSP at contract inception. For performance obligations where an observable price exists, such as PCS, the observable price is utilized. If an observable price does not currently exist, the Company will utilize management’s best estimate of SSP for that good or service using estimation methods that maximize the use of observable data points.

The SSP in both segments is usually apportioned along the lines of class of customer, nature of product/services, and other attributes related to those products and services. Once SSP is determined for each performance obligation, the transaction price, including any discount, is allocated based on the relative SSP of the separate performance obligations.

Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer:

Costs incurred to obtain customer contracts, such as sales commissions, are deferred and recorded within other current assets and other assets when such costs are determined to be incremental to obtaining a contract, would not have been incurred otherwise and the Company expects to recover those costs. These costs are amortized to expense consistent with the recognition pattern of the related revenue over time. Depending on the line of business to which the contract relates, this amortization period may be based upon the average economic life of the products sold or average period for which services are provided, inclusive of anticipated contract renewals. Determining the estimated economic life of the products sold requires judgment with respect to anticipated future technological changes/product enhancements.

Contingencies

Accounting for contingencies, including those matters described in Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements, is highly subjective and requires the use of judgments and estimates in assessing their magnitude and likely outcome. In many cases, the outcomes of such matters will be determined by third parties, including governmental or judicial bodies. The provisions made in the consolidated financial statements, as well as the related disclosures, represent management’s best estimates of the current status of such matters and their potential outcome based on a review of the facts and in consultation with outside legal counsel where deemed appropriate. The Company regularly reviews contingencies and as new information becomes available may, in the future, adjust its associated liabilities.

For claims, litigation and proceedings and governmental investigations and inquiries not related to income taxes, where it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company records liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and periodically adjusts these as appropriate. When the reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range of amounts, the minimum amount of the range is accrued unless some higher amount within the range is a better estimate than another amount within the range. In other instances, where a loss is reasonably possible, management does not record a liability because of uncertainties related to the probable outcome and/or the amount or range of loss, but discloses the contingency if material.

As additional information becomes available, the Company adjusts its assessments and estimates of such matters accordingly. In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of litigation, regulatory, governmental investigations and inquiries, enforcement and similar matters and contingencies, particularly where the claimants seek large or indeterminate damages or where the parties assert novel legal theories or the matters involve a large number of parties, the Company cannot predict what the eventual outcome of the pending matters will be or the timing of any resolution of such matters. The Company also cannot predict the impact (if any) that any such matters may have on how its business is conducted, on its competitive position or on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As the process to resolve any pending matters progresses, management will continue to review the latest information available and assess its ability to predict the outcome of such matters and the effects, if any, on its operations and financial condition. However, in light of the large or indeterminate damages sought in some of them, the absence of similar court rulings on the theories of law asserted and uncertainties regarding apportionment of any potential damages, an estimate of the range of possible losses cannot be made at this time.

The Company’s wholly-owned insurance subsidiary insures the Company against certain risks including, but not limited to, deductibles for worker’s compensation, employment practices litigation, employee medical claims and terrorism, for which the claims are not material to the Company. In addition, for claim years 2008 and 2009, the insurance subsidiary insured the Company for defense costs related to professional liability claims. For matters insured by the Company’s insurance subsidiary, Moody’s records liabilities based on the estimated total claims expected to be paid and total projected costs to defend a claim through its anticipated conclusion. The Company determines liabilities based on an assessment of management’s best estimate of claims to be paid and legal defense costs as well as actuarially determined estimates. Defense costs for matters not self-insured by the Company’s wholly-owned insurance subsidiary are expensed as services are provided.

Accounts Receivable Allowances and Contract Assets

Moody’s records variable consideration in respect of estimated future adjustments to customer billings as an adjustment to revenue, using the expected value method based on analysis of similar contracts in the same line of business. Such amounts are reflected as additions to the accounts receivable allowance, or to contract assets. Additionally, estimates of uncollectible accounts are recorded as bad debt expense and are reflected as additions to the accounts receivable allowance. Actual billing adjustments are recorded against the allowance, or contract asset, depending on the nature of the adjustment. Actual uncollectible account write-offs are recorded against the allowance. Moody’s evaluates its accounts receivable allowance by reviewing and assessing historical collection and adjustment experience and the current status of customer accounts. Moody’s also considers the economic environment of the customers, both from an industry and geographic perspective, in evaluating the need for allowances. Based on its analysis, Moody’s adjusts its allowance as considered appropriate in the circumstances. This process involves a high degree of judgment and estimation and could involve significant dollar amounts. Accordingly, Moody’s results of operations can be affected by adjustments to the allowance. Management believes that the allowance is adequate to cover anticipated adjustments and write-offs under current conditions. However, significant changes in any of the above factors, or actual write-offs or adjustments that differ from the estimated amounts, could impact the Company’s consolidated results of operations.

Pension and Other Retirement Benefits

The expenses, assets and liabilities that Moody’s reports for its Retirement Plans are dependent on many assumptions concerning the outcome of future events and circumstances. These significant assumptions include the following:

The discount rates used to measure the present value of the Company’s benefit obligation for its Retirement Plans as of December 31, 2018 were derived using a cash flow matching method whereby the Company compares each plan’s projected payment obligations by year with the corresponding yield on the FTSE pension discount curve. The cash flows by plan are then discounted back to present value to determine the discount rate applicable to each plan.

Moody’s major assumptions vary by plan and assumptions used are set forth in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements. In determining these assumptions, the Company consults with third-party actuaries and other advisors as deemed appropriate. While the Company believes that the assumptions used in its calculations are reasonable, differences in actual experience or changes in assumptions could have a significant effect on the expenses, assets and liabilities related to the Company’s Retirement Plans. Additionally, the Company has updated its mortality assumption by adopting the newly released mortality improvement scale MP-2018 to accompany the RP-2014 mortality tables to reflect the latest information regarding future mortality expectations by the Society of Actuaries.

When actual plan experience differs from the assumptions used, actuarial gains or losses arise. Excluding differences between the expected long-term rate of return assumption and actual returns on plan assets, the Company amortizes, as a component of annual

pension expense, total outstanding actuarial gains or losses over the estimated average future working lifetime of active plan participants to the extent that the gain/loss exceeds 10% of the greater of the beginning-of-year projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. For Moody’s Retirement Plans, the total actuarial losses as of December 31, 2018 that have not been recognized in annual expense are $83.5 million, and Moody’s expects to recognize a net periodic expense of $3.6 million in 2019 related to the amortization of actuarial losses.

For Moody’s funded U.S. pension plan, the differences between the expected long-term rate of return assumption and actual returns could also affect the net periodic pension expense. As permitted under ASC Topic 715, the Company amortizes the impact of asset returns over a five-year period for purposes of calculating the market-related value of assets that is used in determining the expected return on assets’ component of annual expense and in calculating the total unrecognized gain or loss subject to amortization. As of December 31, 2018, the Company has an unrecognized asset loss of $12.5 million, of which $4.3 million will be recognized in the market-related value of assets that is used to calculate the expected return on assets’ component of 2020 expense.

The table below shows the estimated effect that a one percentage-point decrease in each of these assumptions will have on Moody’s 2019 income before provision for income taxes. These effects have been calculated using the Company’s current projections of 2019 expenses, assets and liabilities related to Moody’s Retirement Plans, which could change as updated data becomes available.

A one percentage-point increase in assumed healthcare cost trend rates will not affect 2019 projected expenses. Based on current projections, the Company estimates that expenses related to Retirement Plans will be approximately $24 million in 2019, a decrease compared to the $30.7 million recognized in 2018.

Restructuring

The Company has engaged, and may continue to engage, in restructuring actions, which require management to utilize significant estimates related to expenses for severance and other employee benefit costs, contract termination costs and asset impairments. If the actual amounts differ from these estimates, the amount of the restructuring charge could be impacted. For a full description of Moody’s restructuring actions, refer to Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements.

Other Estimates

In addition, there are other accounting estimates within Moody’s consolidated financial statements, including recoverability of deferred tax assets, valuation of investments in affiliates and the estimated lives of amortizable intangible assets. Management believes the current assumptions and other considerations used to estimate amounts reflected in Moody’s consolidated financial statements are appropriate. However, if actual experience differs from the assumptions and other considerations used in estimating amounts reflected in Moody’s consolidated financial statements, the resulting changes could have a material adverse effect on Moody’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for further information on significant accounting policies that impact Moody’s.

REPORTABLE SEGMENTS

The Company is organized into two reportable segments at December 31, 2018: MIS and MA.

The MIS segment is comprised primarily of all of the Company’s ratings operations consisting of five LOBs – CFG, SFG, FIG, PPIF and MIS Other. The ratings LOBs generate revenue principally from fees for the assignment and ongoing monitoring of credit ratings on debt obligations and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide. The MIS Other LOB consists of certain non-ratings operations managed by MIS, which consists of non-rating revenue from ICRA and fixed income pricing service operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The MA segment develops a wide range of products and services that support financial analysis and risk management activities of institutional participants in global financial markets as well as serving as provider of business intelligence and company information. The MA segment consists of three lines of business – RD&A, ERS and PS. The results of operations for MA for the year ended December 31, 2018 include the financial results from Omega Performance and Reis, which were acquired in August 2018 and October 2018, respectively. Revenue for the PS LOB includes financial results from Omega Performance and revenue for RD&A LOB includes financial results from Reis.

The following is a discussion of the results of operations of the Company and its reportable segments. Total MIS revenue and total MA expenses include the intersegment royalty revenue for MIS and expense charged to MA for the rights to use and distribute content, data and products developed by MIS. The royalty rate charged by MIS approximates the fair value of the aforementioned content, data and products developed by MIS. Total MA revenue and total MIS expenses include intersegment fees charged to MIS from MA for the use of certain MA products and services in MIS’s ratings process. These fees charged by MA are generally equal to the costs incurred by MA to provide these products and services. Overhead charges and corporate expenses that exclusively benefit one segment are fully charged to that segment. Additionally, overhead costs and corporate expenses of the Company that benefit both segments are generally allocated to each segment based on a revenue-split methodology. Overhead expenses include costs such as rent and occupancy, information technology and support staff such as finance, human resources and legal.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Year ended December 31, 2018 compared with year ended December 31, 2017

Executive Summary

partially offset by:

Moody’s Corporation