ITEM 1. BUSINESS

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

Company Overview

Moody’s is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to anticipate, adapt and thrive in a new era of exponential risk. Our data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others.

Moody's is empowering organizations to make better decisions.

Moody's

We provide tools that enable Banks, Insurers, Investors, Corporations and Governments to...

What do we do?Issue, Originate, Select, UnderwriteIdentify, Measure, Monitor & Manage RiskVerify, Comply, Plan & Report

Leveraging our set of data, analytics, & domain expertise across...

How do we do this?CreditCompaniesPropertiesSecuritiesPeopleEconomiesESGClimate

Moody’s has two reportable segments: MA and MIS.

Provider of financial intelligence and analytical tools supporting customers’ growth, efficiency and risk management objectives

Independent provider of credit rating opinions and related information for over 100 years

Financial information and operating results of these segments, including revenue, expenses and Adjusted Operating Income, are included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements of this annual report and are herein incorporated by reference.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

Moody's Analytics Overview

MA empowers financial services, corporate and public sector customers to anticipate risks, adapt and thrive in a new era of exponential risk. MA's combined data, analytics and cloud-based software tools deliver integrated solutions that help customers to start business relationships, monitor and manage risk, and comply and report based on global laws, rules and regulations.

MA is comprised of: i) a premier fixed income and economic research business (Research & Insights); ii) a data business powered by the world’s largest database on companies and credit (Data & Information); and iii) three cloud-based SaaS businesses serving banking, insurance and KYC workflows (Decision Solutions).

MA creates a holistic view on risk provided by our vast set of proprietary data, analytics, and domain expertise across a range of areas, including credit, companies, properties, securities, people, economies, ESG, climate and more. MA's integrated and technology-enabled solutions provide unique capabilities and insights that are embedded in customer workflows.

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MA by the Numbers

14,800+

6,600+

900+

MA Customers

Corporates and Professional Services

Real Estate Entities

160+

2,600+

600+

Countries where MA customers operate

Commercial Banks

Educational Institutions

1,900+

100+

Asset Managers

Securities Dealers and Investment Banks

900+

400+

Government Entities

Others

800+

Insurance Companies

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

Moody's Investors Service Overview

MIS is a leading global provider of credit ratings, research, and risk analysis. A rating from Moody’s enables issuers to create timely, go-to-market debt strategies with the ability to capture wider investor focus and provides investors with a comprehensive view of global debt markets through our credit ratings and research. Moody’s trusted insights can help decision-makers navigate the safest path through market turmoil and volatility.

MIS publishes credit ratings and provides assessment services on a wide range of debt obligations, programs and facilities, and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide, including various corporate, financial institution and governmental obligations, and structured finance securities.

The Benefits of a Moody's Rating

Investors seek Moody's opinions and particularly value the knowledge of its analysts and the depth of Moody's research

Access to capital

Transparency, credit comparison and market stability

Planning and budgeting

Analytical capabilities

• Moody’s opinions on credit are used by institutional investors throughout the world, making an issuer’s debt potentially more attractive to a wide range of buyers.

• Signals a willingness by issuers to be transparent and provides issuers with an independent assessment against which to compare creditworthiness.

• May help issuers when formulating internal capital plans and funding strategies.

• Among ratings advisors, Moody’s has a strong position and is well-recognized for the depth and breadth of its analytical capabilities.

• A Moody’s rating may facilitate access to both domestic and international debt capital.

• Moody’s ratings and research reports may help maintain investor confidence, especially during periods of market stress.

MIS by the Numbers

~$74 trillion

4,800+

3,300+

Total Rated Debt Outstanding

Non-Financial Corporates

Financial Institutions

33,200+

14,700+

8,900+

Rated Organizations and Structured Deals

U.S. Public Finance Issuers

Structured Finance Deals

190+

1,000+

370+

Rating Methodologies

Infrastructure & Project Finance Issuers

Sub-Sovereigns

144

47

Sovereigns

Supranational Institutions

MIS also generates revenue from certain non-ratings-related operations, which primarily consist of financial instruments pricing services in the Asia-Pacific region, revenue from Second Party Opinions and Net Zero Assessments and 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.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K 13

Sustainability

Moody’s manages its business with the goal of delivering value to all of its stakeholders, including its customers, employees, business partners, local communities and stockholders. As part of this effort, Moody’s advances its commitment to sustainability by considering ESG factors in its operations, value chain, products and services. It uses its expertise and assets to make a positive difference through technology tools, research and analytical services that help other organizations and the investor community better understand the links between sustainability considerations and the global markets. Moody’s efforts to promote sustainability-related thought leadership, assessments and data to market participants involve adhering to globally recognized standards including the GRI, SASB and TCFD recommendations. Moody's received the following awards and recognition for its sustainability- related efforts during 2023:

–Named 2022 CDP Supplier Engagement Leader on Climate Action for third consecutive year;

–Recognized among America’s 100 Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital and CNBC for its commitment to serving its workforce, customers, communities, the environment, and stockholders;

–Named to Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for fourth consecutive year; and

–Ranked #1 on Forbes' Net Zero Leaders list.

The Board oversees sustainability matters via the Audit, Governance & Nominating, and Compensation & Human Resources Committees, as part of its oversight of management and the Company’s overall strategy. The Audit Committee oversees financial, risk and other disclosures made in the Company’s annual and quarterly reports related to sustainability and has overseen the expanded voluntary disclosures the Company has made in its periodic filings. The Governance & Nominating Committee oversees sustainability matters, including significant issues of corporate social and environmental responsibility, as they pertain to the Company’s business and to long-term value creation for the Company and its stockholders, and makes recommendations to the Board regarding these issues. This has helped to develop the Company’s robust ESG strategy. Finally, the Compensation & Human Resources Committee oversees inclusion of sustainability-related performance goals for determining compensation of all senior executives. This oversight has resulted in the Company more fully integrating sustainability-related performance metrics into the strategic & operational compensation metric of all senior executives. The Board also oversees Moody’s policies for assessing and managing the Company's exposure to risk, including climate-related risks such as business continuity disruption and reputational or credibility concerns stemming from incorporation of climate-related risks into the credit methodologies and credit ratings of MIS, or analysis of such risks within MA's products and services.

Three Pillars of Moody's Sustainability Strategy

Better Business

Better Lives

Better Solutions

For Moody's operations and value chain

For Moody's people and communities

For market transformation

Strive to embed responsible, sustainable decision-making into our operations and value chain.

Aim to foster a nurturing and inclusive culture across Moody's people and communities.

Deliver trusted perspectives that inform a clear and holistic understanding of ESG risk.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

HUMAN CAPITAL

Moody's believes that a workforce representing an array of backgrounds and experiences helps create an environment that maximizes every employee’s contribution, widens the leadership pipeline and enhances our work, including the quality of our opinions, products and services.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the number of Moody’s employees was as follows:

		December 31,		Change
		2023	2022	%
MA	U.S.	2,995	2,789	7	%
	Non-U.S.	4,858	4,333	12	%
	Total	7,853	7,122	10	%
MIS	U.S.	1,490	1,538	(3)	%
	Non-U.S.	3,855	3,981	(3)	%
	Total	5,345	5,519	(3)	%
MSS	U.S.	744	741	—	%
	Non-U.S.	1,209	1,044	16	%
	Total	1,953	1,785	9	%
Total MCO	U.S.	5,229	5,068	3	%
	Non-U.S.	9,922	9,358	6	%
	Total	15,151	14,426	5	%

–MA’s employee population primarily consists of software engineers, product managers and strategists, data and operations analysts, advisory and implementation teams and economists, as well as sales, business development, and sales support professionals.

–The MIS employee population primarily consists of credit analysts, data and operations analysts, credit strategy and methodology professionals, software engineers, sales and sales operations, and international strategy teams.

–The MSS employee population primarily consists of information technology professionals and other professional staff such as finance, human resources, compliance, and legal that support both MA and MIS.

As a global provider of integrated perspectives on risk, attracting, supporting and retaining skilled talent is essential to the Company’s success. Moody’s addresses these goals by:

–championing inclusion among employees;

–providing market-competitive compensation, benefits and wellness programs; and

–advancing employee engagement, including supporting employee learning, development and skills enhancement.

Inclusion

Moody's believes that a diverse workforce, comprised of individuals with varied thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences, fosters an environment that makes our opinions stronger, our products more innovative, our workplace more welcoming, and improves how we relate and respond to our customers. We aim to foster a culture of true inclusion and belonging, valuing everyone's unique perspectives and contributions. We believe diversity and equity are essential to build a workplace where inclusion thrives. That strategy will guide us as we seek to ensure equal opportunities in all aspects of employment.

Focus Areas

Our current strategy is rooted in the following five focus areas intended to drive meaningful change:

–A Broader, More Global Perspective on Diversity

We want every one of our employees, everywhere, to be equally involved and supported in all areas of our workplace. Our goal is to position diversity in a way that works for everyone—to be broader and more holistic. As a global company, we will seek to understand how different parts of the world view diversity differently.

–BRGs as Cultural Ambassadors

We recognize the significant contributions of our BRGs to our organization—they are open to all employees and foster a sense of unity and community, creating an environment where employees feel a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their most authentic selves at work. BRGs are networks for purposeful engagement and cohesive organization. We want to continue to empower our BRGs, so they can flourish.

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–Pay Equity and Inclusive Benefits

We are committed to paying all of our employees equitably and fairly and to providing them with extensive and inclusive benefits programs. We continue to increase transparency and clarity when it comes to pay and benefits and strive to give employees insight into how we compensate them because we want our employees to be in-the-know on these topics.

–Success and Growth of Our Employees

Moody’s is committed to the success and growth of all of our employees, with a particular emphasis on attracting and developing women in our workforce globally. We’re investing in initiatives that help us better understand what attracts, engages, and retains employees from many diverse backgrounds across our organization to help us focus on strategies that will be most effective.

–Awareness and Education

When we know better, we do better, so it’s important that we remain aware and educated on issues of inclusion. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels safe and accepted. To achieve this, we will proactively educate our employees, including on topics like inclusion in decision making and neurodiversity.

Inclusion Operating and Governance Model

Our Inclusion Operating and Governance Model (OGM) is the engine that drives inclusion and belonging at Moody’s. By providing a functional framework to guide how our inclusion team, councils, sponsors, BRGs and committees work together, the OGM focuses our collective efforts to advance our strategic priorities. The Global Inclusion Council, chaired by our CEO and composed of senior leaders who are committed to inclusion and diversity best practices, is charged with the oversight of our global inclusion strategy and its progress. The members of the council meet quarterly.

Our governance model also include three Regional Inclusion Councils tasked with overseeing the implementation and progression of the inclusion strategy within their respective regions. Each council is composed by the BRG regional executives sponsors and also meet on a quarterly basis.

Our operating model includes 11 active BRGs which represent 53 chapters and are open to all Moody's employees, with more than 3,800 employees participating globally as of December 31, 2023.

Data

The charts below present additional information regarding the composition of the Company's workforce as of December 31, 2023. The percentage for underrepresented groups includes those who identified as Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hawaiian/Other Pacific Island or two or more races. Officers and Managers are calculated using the job categories: executives, senior managers, mid-level managers and first-level managers. The following data is based on Company records and may involve estimates or assumptions.

Total Workforce: GenderU.S. Workforce: Ethnicity

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

Total Officers and Managers: Gender (1)U.S. Officers and Managers: Ethnicity

(1) Total officers and managers by gender represents approximately 90% of employees (excludes certain non-wholly-owned subsidiaries and newly acquired companies for which this data was not available).

Additionally, approximately 30% of our Board of Directors identified as female and 30% as members of underrepresented groups.

Compensation, Health and Wellness

Moody’s compensation programs are designed to foster and maintain a strong, capable, experienced and motivated global workforce. An important element of the Company’s compensation philosophy is aligning compensation to local market standards so that Moody's can attract and retain the highly-skilled talent needed to thrive. The Company’s compensation packages include market-competitive salaries, annual bonuses and equity grants for certain employees.

With respect to benefits, the Company views investments in benefits as an investment in its people. Moody’s is committed to providing competitive benefits programs designed to care for all employees and their families. The Company’s comprehensive programs offer resources for physical and mental health that promote preventive care, awareness and support for a healthy lifestyle. Beyond delivering health, welfare, retirement benefits and paid vacation and sick days, Moody’s extends other benefits to support its employees and their families, such as parental leave and educational support.

The Company also promotes flexible work arrangements, which support the Company’s efforts to create a work atmosphere in which people feel valued and inspired to give their best. To balance the needs of Moody's employees and business, the Company has implemented a "PurposeFirst" framework, which fosters purpose-driven decisions relating to how and where Moody's teams work.

Talent Management, Employee Engagement and Retention

Moody’s talent management framework includes learning and development, talent acquisition, performance management, total rewards, succession planning and leadership development. Each of these areas supports the Company’s business strategy and Moody’s culture as a diverse, equitable and inclusive place to work. Moody's views learning and development as an investment in its people that aligns their professional goals and interests with the success of the Company and helps to retain talent over the longer-term. A number of training programs are available, including leadership development, professional skills development and technical skills.

The Company measures employee engagement via multiple channels, including a BES for employees to provide anonymous and candid feedback to management. This periodic survey helps Moody's management understand our employees’ level of engagement in critical areas, which include, but are not limited to: company strategy; opportunities for employee development; and work/life balance. Managers are accountable for identifying opportunity areas and taking targeted actions based on survey results. The feedback received through the BES is used as a vital input into making decisions to improve employee experience and retention.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K 17

Management monitors employee turnover rates as presented in the chart below:

The decrease in the Company's voluntary turnover rates in 2023 compared to 2022 is likely due to the overall strength of the global labor market for much of 2022, especially for technology-related jobs, and a decline in that trend for 2023. The Company's involuntary turnover rates in 2023 remained steady when compared to 2022, with both years including the impacts of the 2022-2023 Geolocation Restructuring Program, which resulted in a reduction in staff, including the relocation of certain job functions during both years.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a defining issue of our time, and while Moody’s has a limited direct environmental impact, we do nonetheless have an important role to play in demonstrating proactive corporate responsibility and best practices when it comes to climate change mitigation. As such, the Company is taking steps to achieve its commitment to net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2040 by publishing its TCFD report on an annual basis, issuing its decarbonization plan and taking actions to achieve its near and long-term net-zero targets.

Our decarbonization plan outlines tangible strategies for realizing its climate ambitions, including the procurement of 100% of renewable electricity in the Company’s office spaces and optimizing efficiencies in its operations through its hybrid work program. The costs associated with the implementation of the decarbonization plan are not expected to be material.

Moody’s has made acquisitions, including RMS, which expand its climate data and analytics capabilities. The Company is taking steps to integrate these capabilities into existing offerings to provide its analysts and researchers with streamlined access to consistent and high-quality climate insights.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

MOODY’S STRATEGY

Moody’s is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to anticipate, adapt and thrive in a new era of exponential risk. Our data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others.

Mission

Provide trusted insights and standards that help decision-makers act with confidence

Growth Strategy

Invest with intent to grow and scale

Invest with intent to grow and strengthen our core business with a foundation of credibility, transparency, technology, data and analytics

Invest in integrated solutions to allow customers to manage multiple risks, bringing the best of Moody's capabilities

Invest to successfully scale in priority growth markets with highly differentiated products and services

Investment in high growth markets

Execution Priorities

How we will get it done

Customer first

Develop our people and culture

Collaborate, modernize and innovate

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

Enhancements to ratings quality and product extensionsInvestments that extend ownership and participation in joint ventures and strategic alliancesExpansion in emerging markets New products, services, content and technology capabilities, including Gen AI, to meet customer demandsSelective bolt-on acquisitions that accelerate the ability to scale and grow Moody’s businesses

In this era of exponential risk, we know that risks are interconnected, and organizations want a complete view of risk. This includes having a greater breadth and depth of understanding around how risks connect.

Our integrated approach provides stakeholders with a more comprehensive view of risk, helping them to make better decisions and unlock opportunities. Moody’s brings together multiple data sets and develops risk analysis solutions to assess multiple risk factors (e.g., supply chain failures; cyberattacks; geopolitical tensions; sanctions and security issues; and extreme weather events).

MOODY'S 2023 10-K 19

PROSPECTS FOR GROWTH

Moody’s believes that the overall long-term outlook remains favorable for continued growth from the offerings of both of our reportable segments.

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

Enablement of Gen AIHealth of the world’s major economiesDebt capital markets activityDisintermediation of credit marketsFiscal and monetary policy of governmentsExpansion of market for integrated data and analytics solutionsBusiness investment spending, including mergers and acquisitions

In an environment of increasing financial complexity and exponential risk, Moody’s expects to be well positioned to benefit from continued growth in global fixed-income market activity and more widespread use of credit ratings and integrated risk solutions. Moreover, pricing opportunities aligned with customer value creation and advances in technology present growth opportunities for Moody’s.

Over the last decade, Moody’s has leveraged the power of AI and ML to better serve our customer base. As an early adopter of Gen AI, Moody's expects to be well positioned to benefit from the capabilities of this groundbreaking technology, which will help our customers make better decisions by unlocking deeper, more integrated perspectives on risk. Through enablement of Gen AI, both internally and through certain strategic partnerships, we are in the process of evolving how we deliver insights on exponential risk to our customers.

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.

MA Prospects for Growth

MA provides insights on the evolving risks of our customers and supports their ability to capitalize on related opportunities. Growth in MA is likely to be driven by landing new customers and expanding customer relationships across use cases over time. Our trusted and curated data is key in an environment that is increasingly using Gen AI, and we expect that the integration of our platforms will enable effective cross-selling of models, data and applications. MA's growth is also likely to be driven by quickly addressing new use cases and incorporating new risk data and analytics as needed.

Strategic growth drivers:

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STRONG CUSTOMER RETENTION RATES

CROSS-SELLING, UPGRADES & PRICING

CONTINUED SAAS TRANSITION

INCREASED DISTRIBUTION CAPACITY AND PRODUCTIVITY

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

Market growth drivers:

Customers need to understand a large range of interconnected and emerging risks. Our comprehensive solutions support the transformation underway across various industries due to:

			Operational and reputational risks						Digitization
			Evolving regulatory environment						Fluctuations in credit and financial markets
			Climate change						Geopolitical risks

MIS Prospects for Growth

Strong secular trends should continue to provide long-term growth opportunities in MIS. Key growth drivers include:

Long-term Growth Building Blocks

Economic Expansion

+

Value Proposition

+

Developing Capital Markets

• GDP growth drives demand for debt capital to fund business investments

• Refinancing needs support future supply

• Proven rating accuracy and deeply experienced analysts

• Mix of issuers and opportunistic issuance

• Deepening participation in developing markets

• Meeting customers’ evolving risk assessment demands, including Climate, Cybersecurity, and ESG

In addition to the factors noted above, growth in global fixed income markets in a given year is dependent on many macroeconomic and capital market factors including:

Interest ratesBusiness investment spendingCorporate refinancing needsMerger and acquisition activity Issuer financial healthConsumer borrowing levelsSecuritization activityExpansion of ratings coverage Expansion into emerging markets

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. 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.

Within MIS, we remain firmly committed to ratings quality, timely and insightful research, and engagement with issuers and investors. During the last year, we further expanded our domestic ratings footprint into new domestic markets, with investments in new affiliates in Costa Rica and Vietnam. Additionally, the prominence of our Moody’s Local domestic rating business has grown significantly.

Competition

MA competes broadly in the financial information and enterprise risk software industries against various diversified competitors. MA’s main competitors within DS are providers of software and analytic solutions. In R&I, MA faces competition from providers of economic data, financial research and analysis. MA's main competitors within D&I are providers of commercial and financial data.

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.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K 21

Regulation

MIS, certain of the Company's credit rating affiliates, and many of the issuers and/or securities that MIS and the affiliates rate, are subject to extensive regulation in the U.S. (including by state and local authorities), EU and in other countries. In addition, some of the services offered by MA and its affiliates are subject to regulation in a number of countries. MA also derives a significant amount of its sales from banks and other financial services providers who are subject to regulatory oversight and who are required to conduct due diligence and pass through certain regulatory requirements to key suppliers such as MA by contract. Existing and proposed laws and regulations can impact the Company’s operations, products and the markets in which the Company operates. Additional laws and regulations 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 Company’s operations, including the issuance of credit ratings, and may negatively impact the Company’s profitability and ability to compete, or result in changes in the demand for the Company's products and services, in the manner in which the Company's products and services are utilized, and in the manner in which the Company operates.

In the U.S., CRAs are subject to extensive regulation primarily pursuant to Section 15E of the Exchange Act and rules thereunder. MIS is registered with the SEC as an NRSRO and is subject to the SEC's oversight and examination authority.

In the EU, the CRA industry is registered and supervised through a pan-EU regulatory framework. ESMA has direct supervisory responsibility for registered CRAs throughout the EU. MIS’s EU CRA subsidiaries are registered with and are subject to CRA regulation in the EU and periodic inspection by ESMA.

As part of the legislative package on sustainable finance, in June 2023, the European Commission published a proposal on the transparency and integrity of ESG rating activities, which would subject ESG rating and/or score providers to formal regulation and supervision by ESMA. Following negotiations between the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, it is expected to be adopted in the first half of 2024. Because the regulation has not yet been finalized, its precise scope and impact are uncertain; however, the Company continues to assess the potential impact on both MA and MIS.

In December 2022, the EU adopted DORA, which will apply from early 2025. As a credit rating agency, MIS is in scope of DORA, and accordingly, is required to undertake certain steps to ensure that its oversight and risk management of its information technology, including any functions outsourced to third-parties that provide information communication technologies, is resilient. MA provides certain products and services to clients that may be regulated financial institutions in the EU and therefore fall in the scope of DORA. It is therefore expected that MA may receive queries from such clients in relation to those products and services, as well as requests for contractual commitments, to ensure their compliance with DORA.

In the U.K., MIS U.K. is registered with and regulated by the FCA. In March 2023, the FCA initiated a review of competition in the markets for certain types of wholesale market data. Credit rating data is included as one element of the FCA’s review. In August 2023, the FCA published an update, determining that its findings did not require a referral to the U.K. Competition & Markets Authority. However, the FCA also stated that it would continue its analysis and would announce any potential remedies in its final report due on or before March 1, 2024.

Additionally, HM Treasury published a consultation in March 2023 on whether regulation for providers of ESG ratings should be introduced, on the potential scope of a regulatory regime. It is unclear if and when the U.K. Government might seek to take forward such legislation.

Intellectual Property

Moody’s and its affiliates own and control a variety of intellectual property, including but not limited to:

Proprietary information

Publications

Databases

Trademarks

Software as a service and other software tools and applications

Domain names

Research

Models and methodologies

Other proprietary materials that, in the aggregate, are of material importance to Moody’s business

Management of Moody’s believes that the trademarks and related corporate names, marks and logos relating to its businesses, including those containing the term “Moody’s”, are of material importance to the Company.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

The Company, primarily through MA and its affiliates, licenses certain of its databases, SaaS and other software applications, credit risk models, assessments, research and other publications and services that contain intellectual property to its customers. These licenses are provided pursuant to standard 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, certain of the Company’s affiliates obtain from third-party information providers certain financial, credit risk, compliance, firmographic, management, ownership, news and/or other data worldwide, which are distributed through Moody's 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 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 company financial data in selected geographic markets) 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 affiliates. The Company owns patents (including granted, allowed and pending patents). None of the Company's intellectual property is subject to a specific expiration date, except to the extent that the patents and the copyright in items that the Company creates (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 and technological safeguards for protection. Moody’s also pursues instances of third-party infringement of its intellectual property in order to protect the Company’s rights.

Available Information

Moody’s investor relations internet website is https://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, proxy and other information statements, 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 https://www.sec.gov/.

Information About Our Executive Officers

						Name, Age, Position and Biographical Data

						Robert Fauber, 53 President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Fauber has served as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer since January 2021. Mr. Fauber joined the Board of Directors in October 2020 and he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Prior to serving as CEO, Mr. Fauber served as Chief Operating Officer from November 2019 to December 2020, as President of MIS from June 2016 to October 2019, as Senior Vice President—Corporate & Commercial Development of Moody’s Corporation from April 2014 to May 2016, and was Head of the MIS Commercial Group from January 2013 to May 2016.

						Richard Steele, 54 Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mr. Steele has served as the Company’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel since September 2023. Mr. Steele joined Moody’s KMV Company in 2006 as its Chief Legal Officer, and was named General Counsel of Moody’s Analytics in January 2008. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Steele was a corporate lawyer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and also held senior legal positions at several firms in financial technology, software and venture capital.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K 23

						Name, Age, Position and Biographical Data

						Caroline Sullivan, 55 Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller Ms. Sullivan has served as the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller since December 2018 and has served as the Interim Chief Financial Offer since September 2023. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Sullivan served in several roles at Bank of America from 2011 to 2018, where her last position held was Managing Director and Global Banking Controller. Prior to that role, Ms. Sullivan supported the Global Wealth & Investment Management business from 2015 to 2017 in a variety of positions, including Controller. Ms. Sullivan, a CPA, previously held various senior positions at several banks and a major accounting firm.

						Stephen Tulenko, 56 President, Moody’s Analytics Mr. Tulenko has served as President of Moody’s Analytics since November 2019. Mr. Tulenko served as Executive Director of ERS from 2013 to October 2019 and as Executive Director of Global Sales, Customer Service and Marketing from 2008 to 2013. Prior to the formation of Moody’s Analytics, he held various sales, product development and product strategy roles at Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. Mr. Tulenko joined Moody’s in 1990.

						Michael West, 55 President, Moody’s Investors Service Mr. West has served as President of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. since November 2019. Mr. West served as Managing Director—Head of MIS Ratings and Research from June 2016 to October 2019. Previously, Mr. West served as Managing Director—Head of Global Structured Finance from February 2014 to May 2016 and Managing Director—Head of Global Corporate Finance from January 2010 to January 2014. Earlier in his career, he was also responsible for the research strategy for the ratings businesses and before that led Corporate Finance for the EMEA Region, European Corporates and the EMEA leveraged finance business.

MOODY'S 2023 10-K

MCO - Moody's Corporation