Moody's Corporation (MCO)
Moody's provides credit ratings, research, and risk-analytics tools for debt markets.
MCO vs NDAQ: how the two businesses compare
- Similar size: NDAQ and MCO each brought in about $8.3B of yearly revenue.
- More profitable: MCO keeps 32 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 22 cents at NDAQ.
- More cash from each sale: MCO turns 38 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 27 cents at NDAQ.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) and Moody's (MCO) reported similar revenue: $8.3B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025) versus $7.7B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). MCO's net margin was 31.9% and NDAQ's 21.6%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies; Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services); what connects them is shared exposure to the Rates & central banks research theme, not a common industry.
Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.
- Financials
- Different
- Separate classifications
- December 31
- Same calendar
- Feb 18, 2026
MCO vs NDAQ: quick comparison
| Company fact | MCO | NDAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Moody's Corporation | Nasdaq, Inc. |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| SEC industry | Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies | Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services |
| Fiscal year-end | December 31 | December 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-02-18 | 10-K · 2026-02-12 |
MCO vs NDAQ: audited financials
- Scale: revenue is roughly in line ($8.3B for NDAQ versus $7.7B for MCO).
- Net margin: MCO kept 31.9% of revenue as net income versus 21.6% at NDAQ.
- Cash flow: operating cash flow is left out of this reading because lending, deposit, and trading balances run through it at banks, brokers, and insurers, so it does not measure earnings quality the way it does for an operating company.
- Periods: both fiscal years end on 2025-12-31, so these annual figures cover the same months.
| Metric | MCO | NDAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $7.7B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $8.3B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net income | $2.5B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $1.8B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $2.9B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $2.3B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | $13.672025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $3.092025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | 31.9%2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | 21.6%2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
MCO: FY ending 2025-12-31 · NDAQ: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
Where MCO and NDAQ overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Shared research theme: Rates & central banks.
- Same fiscal calendar: both fiscal years end December 31.
Differences
- Different SEC industries: MCO files as Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies; NDAQ as Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services.
- Profitability: net margin of 31.9% for MCO versus 21.6% for NDAQ.
Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.
Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ)
Nasdaq operates stock exchanges and provides market technology, data, and listing services.
What moves each company
Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.
What moves MCO
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for MCO. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-18.
What moves NDAQ
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for NDAQ. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-12.
The investment question
You now know how MCO and NDAQ are classified, when their fiscal years end, and where their exposures overlap. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to rates & central banks, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
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Read the full researchSEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. Both fiscal years end December 31, so annual reports line up, but check segment definitions before comparing growth or margins.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 7 matched transaction rows for MCO and 14 matched transaction rows for NDAQ. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
MCO primary filings
NDAQ primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
More comparisons involving MCO or NDAQ
MCO vs NDAQ FAQs
Are MCO and NDAQ direct competitors?
Not necessarily. Moody's files as Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies and Nasdaq as Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services. The pair is compared because both map to the Rates & central banks research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.
Is MCO or NDAQ the bigger company by revenue?
Nasdaq (NDAQ) and Moody's (MCO) reported similar revenue: $8.3B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025) versus $7.7B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). MCO's net margin was 31.9% and NDAQ's 21.6%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies; Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services); what connects them is shared exposure to the Rates & central banks research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.
Which is better, MCO or NDAQ?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this MCO vs NDAQ comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Moody's Corporation and Nasdaq, Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?
MCO vs NDAQ compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.
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