DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Moody’s is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations and investors to make better decisions. Moody’s reports in two reportable segments: MIS and MA.

MIS publishes credit ratings and provides assessment services on a wide range of debt obligations, programs and facilities, and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide, including various corporate, financial institution and governmental obligations, and structured finance securities.

MA is a global provider of: i) data and information; ii) research and insights; and iii) decision solutions, which help companies make better and faster decisions. MA leverages its industry expertise across multiple risks such as credit, market, financial crime, supply chain, catastrophe and climate to deliver integrated risk assessment solutions that enable business leaders to identify, measure and manage the implications of interrelated risks and opportunities.

These interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes in the Company’s 2021 annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 22, 2022. The results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year or any subsequent period. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows at the dates and for the periods presented have been included. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to the current presentation.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2021-08, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU No. 2021-08"). This ASU requires companies to apply the definition of a performance obligation under ASC Topic 606 to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities (i.e., deferred revenue) relating to contracts with customers that are acquired in a business combination. The adoption of this ASU will result in the acquirer recording acquired contract assets and liabilities on the same basis that would have been recorded by the acquiree before the acquisition under ASC Topic 606. Accordingly, upon adoption, the Company will no longer be required to adjust acquired deferred revenue to fair value in business combination transactions. The amendments in ASU No. 2021-08 are applied prospectively and will be applied to all business combination transactions completed subsequent to January 1, 2022.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has not had a material adverse impact on the Company's reported results to date and is currently not expected to have a material adverse impact on its near-term outlook. However, Moody's is unable to predict the longer-term impact that the pandemic may have on its business, future results of operations, financial position or cash flows due to numerous uncertainties.

Russia/Ukraine Conflict

The Company is closely monitoring the impact of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict on all aspects of its business. In response to the conflict, in the first quarter of 2022, the Company has suspended commercial operations in Russia for both MIS and MA and is complying with all applicable regulatory restrictions set forth by the jurisdictions in which Moody's operates. Furthermore, the Company also has withdrawn MIS credit ratings on Russian entities.

While Moody's Russian operations and net assets are not material, broader global market volatility relating to uncertainties surrounding the conflict has adversely impacted rated issuance volumes in the first quarter of 2022. The Company is unable to predict either the near-term or longer-term impact that the conflict may have on its financial position and operating results due to numerous uncertainties regarding the severity and duration of the conflict and its broader potential macroeconomic impact.

Reclassification of Previously Reported Revenue by LOB

In the first quarter of 2022, the Company realigned its revenue by LOB reporting structure for the MA operating segment to enhance insight and transparency into this business. As of January 1, 2022, the MA LOBs have been realigned from RD&A and ERS to:

–Decision Solutions (DS) - provides software and workflow tools for specific use cases (banking, insurance, KYC/KYS, CRE and structured finance solutions). This LOB utilizes components from the Data & Information and Research & Insights LOBs to provide integrated risk solutions;

–Research & Insights (R&I) - provides models, scores, expert insights and commentary. This LOB includes: credit research; credit models and analytics; and economics data and models; and

–Data & Information (D&I) - provides vast data sets on economies, companies, commercial properties and financial securities via data feeds and data applications products.

Prior year revenue by LOB disclosures have been reclassified to conform to the new LOB reporting structure, which is presented in Note 2.