Moody’s Acquires Majority Stake in Vigeo Eiris, a Global Leader in ESG Assessments

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in Vigeo Eiris, a global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) research, data and assessments. The acquisition furthers Moody’s objective of promoting global standards for ESG for use by market participants.

With products and capabilities based on ESG assessments and an extensive ESG database, Vigeo Eiris offers specialized research and decision-making tools for sustainable and ethical investments.

Vigeo Eiris will continue to be headquartered in Paris, operating under its existing brand, and it will be an affiliate of Moody’s Investors Service.

The acquisition recognizes that ESG considerations are increasingly relevant to issuers, investors, counterparties and others as capital markets and other stakeholders seek clear and objective standards for understanding and measuring these factors.

“Vigeo Eiris has been a pioneer in bringing greater transparency and awareness of ESG and sustainability issues to market participants and has continued to innovate and expand as demand for this information has grown,” said Myriam Durand, Global Head of Assessments at Moody’s Investors Service. “Moody’s acquisition of a majority stake in Vigeo Eiris will contribute to the further development of leading ESG risk assessments, enabling the market to benefit from a global standard in assessing ESG considerations as part of their investment decisions.”

"This acquisition reinforces the importance of ESG assessments to market participants. We look forward to working with Moody’s to offer customers access to a broad range of comprehensive sustainability risk assessments, research and data,” said Nicole Notat, President of Vigeo Eiris.

The acquisition furthers Moody’s ongoing commitment to enhancing transparency and creating standards in ESG. For more information about Moody’s approach to ESG, visit esg.moodys.io.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and it will not have a material impact on Moody’s financial results.

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 $4.4 billion in 2018, employs approximately 13,100 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.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 $4.4 billion in 2018, employs approximately 13,100 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 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 the Company’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and other information in this release are made as of the date hereof (except where noted otherwise), and the Company undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly 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, the Company is identifying examples of factors, risks and uncertainties 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, credit market disruptions or economic slowdowns, 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 planned withdrawal 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 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 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”) and regulations resulting from Dodd-Frank; 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 Dodd-Frank 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 and the expansion of supervisory remit to include non-EU ratings used for regulatory purposes; 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 data protection and privacy laws, 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 such 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. 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, 2018, 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

For Moody’s:
SALLI SCHWARTZ
Moody’s Investor Relations
+1 212-553-4862
sallilyn.schwartz@moodys.com

OR

MICHAEL MULVAGH
Moody’s Communications
+44 (020) 777-21027
michael.mulvagh@moodys.com

OR

MICHAEL ADLER
Moody’s Communications
+1-212-553-4667
michael.adler@moodys.com