Moody’s Receives EU Regulatory Approval for Acquisition of Bureau van Dijk

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced today that it has received clearance under the EU Merger Regulation from the European Commission to acquire Bureau van Dijk, a global provider of business intelligence and company information. Moody’s announced that it had agreed to acquire Bureau van Dijk on May 15, 2017.

In accordance with the terms of the transaction, Moody’s expects the acquisition to be completed in August 2017.

Bureau van Dijk aggregates, standardizes and distributes one of the world’s most extensive private company datasets, with coverage exceeding 220 million companies. It has partnerships with more than 160 independent information providers, creating a platform that connects customers with data that addresses a wide range of business challenges. Bureau van Dijk’s solutions support the credit analysis, investment research, tax risk, transfer pricing, compliance and third-party due diligence needs of financial institutions, corporations, professional services firms and governmental authorities worldwide.

Moody’s will consolidate Bureau van Dijk’s financial results beginning on the closing date and expects to provide updated full year 2017 guidance that includes Bureau van Dijk as part of its third quarter 2017 earnings release.

ABOUT MOODY'S CORPORATION

Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets. Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory services and research for credit and economic analysis and financial risk management. The corporation, which reported revenue of $3.6 billion in 2016, employs approximately 10,600 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 36 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s disclaims any duty to supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Moody’s is identifying certain factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, world-wide credit market disruptions or an economic slowdown, which could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including regulation, credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates and other volatility in the financial markets such as that due to the U.K.’s referendum vote whereby the U.K. citizens voted to withdraw from the EU; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government actions affecting world-wide credit markets, international trade and economic policy; concerns in the marketplace affecting our credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent credit agency ratings; the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies; pricing pressure from competitors and/or customers; the level of success of new product development and global expansion; the impact of regulation as an NRSRO, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations, including provisions in the Financial Reform Act and regulations resulting from that Act; the potential for increased competition and regulation in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions; exposure to litigation related to our rating opinions, as well as any other litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquires to which the Company may be subject from time to time; provisions in the Financial Reform Act legislation modifying the pleading standards, and EU regulations modifying the liability standards, applicable to credit rating agencies in a manner adverse to credit rating agencies; provisions of EU regulations imposing additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services; the possible loss of key employees; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of the Company’s global tax planning initiatives; exposure to potential criminal sanctions or civil remedies if the Company fails to comply with foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that are applicable in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates, including sanctions laws, anti-corruption laws, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials; the impact of mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations and the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired businesses; currency and foreign exchange volatility; the level of future cash flows; the levels of capital investments; and a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions. Other factors, risks and uncertainties relating to our pending acquisition of Bureau van Dijk could cause our actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including the ability of the parties to successfully complete the proposed acquisition on anticipated terms and timing, or at all; the possibility that the conditions to closing may not be satisfied and the transaction will not be consummated; risks relating to the integration of Bureau van Dijk’s operations, products and employees into Moody’s and the possibility that anticipated synergies and other benefits of the proposed acquisition will not be realized in the amounts anticipated or will not be realized within the expected timeframe; risks that the proposed acquisition could have an adverse effect on the business of Bureau van Dijk or its prospects, including, without limitation, on relationships with vendors, suppliers or customers; claims made, from time to time, by vendors, suppliers or customers; changes in the European or global marketplaces that have an adverse effect on the business of Bureau van Dijk; and other factors, risks and uncertainties relating to the transaction as set forth under the caption “‘Safe Harbor’ Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ” in Moody’s report on Form 8-K filed on May 15, 2017, which are incorporated by reference herein. These factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. New factors may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict new factors, nor can the Company assess the potential effect of any new factors on it.

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Contact information

Salli Schwartz
Global Head of Investor Relations and Communications
212.553.4862
sallilyn.schwartz@moodys.com
or
Michael Adler
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
212.553.4667
michael.adler@moodys.com