Dividend hike signals strong outlook

Article Excerpt

MOODY’S CORP. $54 (New York symbol MCO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 222.9 million; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.7; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.moodys.com) has raised its quarterly dividend by 25.0%, to $0.20 a share from $0.16. The new annual rate of $0.80 yields 1.5%. New regulations could force Moody’s to change the way it rates bonds and other securities. That could increase the company’s costs. However, the new rules would also apply to its competitors. Moody’s should earn $3.25 a share in 2013, up from its likely 2012 earnings of $2.99. The stock trades at 16.6 times this year’s estimate. Moody’s is a buy. buy…