MCO vs. AWK

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

MCO (Moody's Corporation) and AWK (American Water Works Company, Inc.) are both stocks. MCO operates in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges (Financial Services), while AWK operates in Utilities - Regulated Water (Utilities). Over the past 10 years, MCO returned 17.28%/yr vs 6.76%/yr for AWK. At a 0.32 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

MCO vs. AWK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Moody's Corporation (MCO) and American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, MCO achieves a -12.74% return, which is significantly lower than AWK's -4.83% return. Over the past 10 years, MCO has outperformed AWK with an annualized return of 17.28%, while AWK has yielded a comparatively lower 6.76% annualized return.

MCO

• 1D: -1.68%
• 1M: -1.44%
• YTD: -12.74%
• 6M: -8.49%
• 1Y: -8.48%
• 3Y*: 10.67%
• 5Y*: 6.50%
• 10Y*: 17.28%

AWK

• 1D: -1.59%
• 1M: -1.35%
• YTD: -4.83%
• 6M: -3.31%
• 1Y: -10.24%
• 3Y*: -3.56%
• 5Y*: -2.91%
• 10Y*: 6.76%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

MCO vs. AWK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
MCO Moody's Corporation	-12.74%	8.74%	22.17%	41.52%	-27.80%	35.57%	23.26%	71.26%	-4.10%	58.53%
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	-4.83%	7.40%	-3.53%	-11.68%	-17.89%	24.83%	26.88%	37.79%	1.32%	29.01%

Correlation

The correlation between MCO and AWK is 0.10, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.10
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.22
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 24, 2008	0.32

Over the past year, the correlation between MCO and AWK has dropped to 0.10 - well below their long-term average of 0.32, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap MCO : $78.68B AWK : $23.89B
EPS MCO : $13.92 AWK : $5.65
PE Ratio MCO : 31.87 AWK : 21.67
PS Ratio MCO : 10.10 AWK : 4.59
PB Ratio MCO : 26.28 AWK : 2.16
Total Revenue (TTM) MCO : $7.87B AWK : $5.21B
Gross Profit (TTM) MCO : $5.49B AWK : $2.27B
EBITDA (TTM) MCO : $3.95B AWK : $2.48B

Return for Risk

MCO vs. AWK — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

MCO

MCO Risk / Return Rank: 27
MCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
MCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
MCO Omega Ratio Rank: 25
MCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
MCO Martin Ratio Rank: 27

AWK

AWK Risk / Return Rank: 18
AWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
AWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
AWK Omega Ratio Rank: 21
AWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
AWK Martin Ratio Rank: 14

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

MCO vs. AWK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Moody's Corporation (MCO) and American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	MCO	AWK	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.32	-0.48	+0.16
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.27	-0.56	+0.29
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.96	0.94	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.36	-0.67	+0.30
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.79	-1.25	+0.46
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MCO vs. AWK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MCO Sharpe Ratio is -0.32, which is higher than the AWK Sharpe Ratio of -0.48. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MCO and AWK, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	MCO	AWK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.32	-0.48	+0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25	-0.13	+0.38
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.62	0.29	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.56	-0.08

Drawdowns

MCO vs. AWK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MCO drawdown since its inception was -78.72%, which is greater than AWK's maximum drawdown of -37.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MCO and AWK.

Drawdown Indicators

	MCO	AWK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-78.72%	-37.10%	-41.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.61%	-15.45%	-8.16%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.65%	-22.33%	-2.32%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-41.66%	-37.10%	-4.56%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.02%	-37.10%	-4.92%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.39%	-28.49%	+11.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.73%	-9.50%	-8.23%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.80%	8.23%	+2.57%

Volatility

MCO vs. AWK - Volatility Comparison

Moody's Corporation (MCO) has a higher volatility of 7.28% compared to American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) at 5.75%. This indicates that MCO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AWK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MCO	AWK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.28%	5.75%	+1.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.95%	15.38%	+6.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.32%	21.40%	+4.92%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.32%	22.90%	+3.42%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.84%	23.70%	+4.14%

Dividends

MCO vs. AWK - Dividend Comparison

MCO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.89%, less than AWK's 2.76% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	2.76%	2.49%	2.41%	2.10%	1.68%	1.25%	1.40%	1.59%	1.96%	1.77%	2.02%	2.23%
MCO Moody's Corporation	0.89%	0.74%	0.72%	0.79%	1.26%	0.63%	0.77%	0.84%	1.26%	1.03%	1.57%	1.36%

Financials

MCO vs. AWK - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Moody's Corporation and American Water Works Company, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

MCO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Moody's Corporation reported a gross profit of 1.55B and revenue of 2.08B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 74.5%.

AWK - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a gross profit of 714.00M and revenue of 1.21B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 59.2%.

MCO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Moody's Corporation reported an operating income of 922.00M and revenue of 2.08B, resulting in an operating margin of 44.4%.

AWK - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported an operating income of 391.00M and revenue of 1.21B, resulting in an operating margin of 32.4%.

MCO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Moody's Corporation reported a net income of 661.00M and revenue of 2.08B, resulting in a net margin of 31.8%.

AWK - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a net income of 196.00M and revenue of 1.21B, resulting in a net margin of 16.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both MCO and AWK in my portfolio?

MCO and AWK have a correlation of 0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, MCO or AWK?

MCO has higher volatility (7.28%) compared to AWK (5.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MCO dropped -78.72% vs AWK's -37.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

MCO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.32 vs -0.48), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.