MOODY'S THIRD-QUARTER PROFIT GROWS FASTER THAN SALES

Moody's posted a sharp gap between its headline profit and its underlying business in the third quarter. Revenue rose just 1% to $2.023 billion, the slowest pace in recent quarters, while GAAP diluted earnings per share jumped 18% to $4.24. Adjusted diluted EPS, which strips out one-time items, grew a more modest 6% to $4.14. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance of $16.00 to $16.50 in GAAP EPS, signaling the one-time boost is expected to carry through the rest of 2026. The gap shows how much of this quarter's profit came from items outside Moody's core ratings and analytics business rather than from new business growth. $MCO