MSCI vs. MCO
MSCI (MSCI Inc.) and MCO (Moody's Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Financial Data & Stock Exchanges industry within the Financial Services sector. Over the past 10 years, MSCI returned 24.54%/yr vs 17.53%/yr for MCO. A 0.58 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.
Performance
MSCI vs. MCO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, MSCI achieves a 5.22% return, which is significantly higher than MCO's -11.93% return. Over the past 10 years, MSCI has outperformed MCO with an annualized return of 24.54%, while MCO has yielded a comparatively lower 17.53% annualized return.
MSCI
- 1D
- 0.81%
- 1M
- 5.32%
- YTD
- 5.22%
- 6M
- 9.54%
- 1Y
- 9.42%
- 3Y*
- 9.01%
- 5Y*
- 5.72%
- 10Y*
- 24.54%
MCO
- 1D
- 1.36%
- 1M
- 2.42%
- YTD
- -11.93%
- 6M
- -7.54%
- 1Y
- -6.12%
- 3Y*
- 10.65%
- 5Y*
- 6.32%
- 10Y*
- 17.53%
MSCI vs. MCO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSCI MSCI Inc. | 5.22% | -3.17% | 7.31% | 22.90% | -23.34% | 38.14% | 74.38% | 77.19% | 17.95% | 62.63% |
MCO Moody's Corporation | -11.93% | 8.74% | 22.17% | 41.52% | -27.80% | 35.57% | 23.26% | 71.26% | -4.10% | 58.53% |
Correlation
The correlation between MSCI and MCO is 0.69, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.69 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.61 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.71 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.68 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 15, 2007 | 0.58 |
The correlation between MSCI and MCO shifts across timeframes, from 0.58 (all time) to 0.71 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
MSCI:
$43.98B
MCO:
$79.40B
MSCI:
$17.28
MCO:
$13.92
MSCI:
34.67
MCO:
32.16
MSCI:
2.15
MCO:
4.20
MSCI:
14.12
MCO:
10.19
MSCI:
$3.24B
MCO:
$7.87B
MSCI:
$2.68B
MCO:
$5.49B
MSCI:
$1.99B
MCO:
$3.95B
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Return for Risk
MSCI vs. MCO — Risk / Return Rank
MSCI
MCO
MSCI vs. MCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MSCI Inc. (MSCI) and Moody's Corporation (MCO). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| MSCI | MCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.56 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.79 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.09 | 0.98 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.52 | -0.26 | +0.78 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.37 | -0.56 | +1.92 |
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Drawdowns
MSCI vs. MCO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MSCI drawdown since its inception was -69.06%, smaller than the maximum MCO drawdown of -78.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MSCI and MCO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MSCI | MCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -69.06% | -78.72% | +9.66% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -18.07% | -23.61% | +5.54% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.99% | -24.65% | -1.34% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.74% | -41.66% | -2.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -43.74% | -42.02% | -1.72% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.94% | -16.63% | +9.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.07% | -17.76% | +4.69% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.92% | 10.99% | -4.07% |
Volatility
MSCI vs. MCO - Volatility Comparison
MSCI Inc. (MSCI) has a higher volatility of 8.37% compared to Moody's Corporation (MCO) at 7.00%. This indicates that MSCI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MCO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| MSCI | MCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.37% | 7.00% | +1.37% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 20.91% | 21.97% | -1.06% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 28.70% | 26.40% | +2.30% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 30.72% | 26.33% | +4.39% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 31.18% | 27.84% | +3.34% |
Dividends
MSCI vs. MCO - Dividend Comparison
MSCI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.29%, more than MCO's 0.88% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MCO Moody's Corporation | 0.88% | 0.74% | 0.72% | 0.79% | 1.26% | 0.63% | 0.77% | 0.84% | 1.26% | 1.03% | 1.57% | 1.36% |
MSCI MSCI Inc. | 1.29% | 1.25% | 1.07% | 0.98% | 0.98% | 0.59% | 0.65% | 0.98% | 1.30% | 1.04% | 1.27% | 1.11% |
Financials
MSCI vs. MCO - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between MSCI Inc. and Moody's Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
MSCI vs. MCO - Profitability Comparison
MSCI - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, MSCI Inc. reported a gross profit of 709.00M and revenue of 850.80M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 83.3%.
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%.
MSCI - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, MSCI Inc. reported an operating income of 456.90M and revenue of 850.80M, resulting in an operating margin of 53.7%.
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%.
MSCI - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, MSCI Inc. reported a net income of 406.00M and revenue of 850.80M, resulting in a net margin of 47.7%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
MSCI and MCO have a correlation of 0.69, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
MSCI has higher volatility (8.37%) compared to MCO (7.00%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MSCI dropped -69.06% vs MCO's -78.72%.
MSCI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.33 vs -0.23), 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.
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