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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