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Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations [Abstract]  
Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The following terms, abbreviations and acronyms are used to identify frequently used terms in this report:

 

TERM

  

DEFINITION

ACNielsen

   ACNielsen Corporation – a former affiliate of Old D&B

Analytics

   Moody's Analytics – a reportable segment of MCO formed in January 2008, which includes the non-rating commercial activities of MCO

AOCI

   Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss); a separate component of shareholders' equity (deficit)

ASC

   The FASB Accounting Standards Codification; the sole source of authoritative GAAP as of July 1, 2009 except for rules and interpretive releases of the SEC, which are also sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants

ASU

   The FASB Accounting Standards Update to the ASC. It also provides background information for accounting guidance and the bases for conclusions on the changes in the ASC. ASUs are not considered authoritative until codified into the ASC

B&H

   Barrie & Hibbert Limited, an acquisition completed in December 2011; part of the MA segment, a leading provider of risk management modeling tools for insurance companies worldwide

Basel II

   Capital adequacy framework published in June 2004 by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision

Basel III

   A new global regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy and liquidity agreed by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Basel III was developed in a response to the deficiencies in financial regulation revealed by the global financial crisis. Basel III strengthens bank capital requirements and introduces new regulatory requirements on bank liquidity and bank leverage.

Board

   The board of directors of the Company

Bps

   Basis points

Canary Wharf Lease

   Operating lease agreement entered into on February 6, 2008 for office space in London, England, occupied by the Company in the second half of 2009

CDOs

   Collateralized debt obligations

CFG

   Corporate finance group; an LOB of MIS

CMBS

   Commercial mortgage-backed securities; part of CREF

Cognizant

   Cognizant Corporation – a former affiliate of Old D&B; comprised the IMS Health and NMR businesses

Commission

   European Commission

Company

   Moody's Corporation and its subsidiaries; MCO; Moody's

Copal

   Copal Partners; an acquisition completed in November 2011; part of the MA segment; leading provider of outsourced research and analytical services to institutional investors

CP

   Commercial paper

CP Notes

   Unsecured commercial paper notes

CP Program

   The Company's commercial paper program entered into on October 3, 2007

CRAs

   Credit rating agencies

CREF

   Commercial real estate finance which includes REITs, commercial real estate CDOs and mortgage-backed securities; part of SFG

CSI

   CSI Global Education, Inc.; an acquisition completed in November 2010; part of the MA segment; a provider of financial learning, credentials, and certification in Canada

D&B Business

   Old D&B's Dun & Bradstreet operating company

DBPP

   Defined benefit pension plans

Debt/EBITDA

   Ratio of Total Debt to EBITDA

EBITDA

   Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization

ECAIs

   External Credit Assessment Institutions

ECB

   European Central Bank

EMEA

   Represents countries within Europe, the Middle East and Africa

EPS

   Earnings per share

ERS

   The enterprise risk solutions LOB within MA (formerly RMS) which provides both economic and regulatory capital risk management software and implementation services as well as other credit risk management services

ESMA

   European Securities and Market Authority

ESPP

   The 1999 Moody's Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan

ETR

   Effective tax rate

EU

   European Union

EUR

   Euros

Eurosystem

   The monetary authority of the Eurozone, the collective of European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their sole official currency. The Eurosystem consists of the European Central Bank and the central banks of the member states that belong to the Eurozone

Excess Tax Benefits

   The difference between the tax benefit realized at exercise of an option or delivery of a restricted share and the tax benefit recorded at the time the option or restricted share is expensed under GAAP

Exchange Act

   The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

FASB

   Financial Accounting Standards Board

FIG

   Financial institutions group; an LOB of MIS

Financial Reform Act

   Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

FX

   Foreign exchange

GAAP

   U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

GBP

   British pounds

G-8

   The finance minister and central bank governors of the group of eight countries consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, U.S. and U.K., that meet annually

G-20

   The G-20 is an informal forum of industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability. The G-20 is comprised of: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. and The EU who is represented by the rotating Council presidency and ECB

IMS Health

   A spin-off of Cognizant; provides services to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries

Indenture

   Indenture and supplemental indenture dated August 19, 2010, relating to the 2010 Senior Notes

Indicative Ratings

   These are ratings which are provided as of a point in time, and not published or monitored. They are primarily provided to potential or current issuers to indicate what a rating may be based on business fundamentals and financial conditions as well as based on proposed financings

IOSCO

   International Organization of Securities Commissions

IOSCO Code

   Code of Conduct Fundamentals for Credit Rating Agencies

IRS

   Internal Revenue Service

KIS

   Korea Investors Service; a leading Korean rating agency and consolidated subsidiary of the Company

KIS Pricing

   Korea Investors Service Pricing, Inc.; a Korean provider of fixed income securities pricing

Legacy Tax Matter(s)

   Exposures to certain potential tax liabilities assumed in connection with the 2000 Distribution

LIBOR

   London Interbank Offered Rate

LOB

   Line of business

MA

   Moody's Analytics – a reportable segment of MCO formed in January 2008, which includes the non-rating commercial activities of MCO

Make Whole Amount

   The prepayment penalty amount relating to the Series 2005-1 Notes, Series 2007-1 Notes, and 2010 Senior Notes which is a premium based on the excess, if any, of the discounted value of the remaining scheduled payments over the prepaid principal

MCO

   Moody's Corporation and its subsidiaries; the Company; Moody's

MD&A

   Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

MIS

   Moody's Investors Service – a reportable segment of MCO; consists of four LOBs – SFG, CFG, FIG and PPIF

MIS Code

   Moody's Investors Service Code of Professional Conduct

Moody's

   Moody's Corporation and its subsidiaries; MCO; the Company

Net Income

   Net income attributable to Moody's Corporation, which excludes net income from consolidated noncontrolling interests belonging to the minority interest holder

New D&B

   The New D&B Corporation – which comprises the D&B business

NM

   Percentage change is not meaningful

NMR

   Nielsen Media Research, Inc.; a spin-off of Cognizant; a leading source of television audience measurement services

NRSRO

   Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization

Old D&B

   The former Dun and Bradstreet Company which distributed New D&B shares on September 30, 2000, and was renamed Moody's Corporation

Post-Retirement Plans

   Moody's funded and unfunded pension plans, the post-retirement healthcare plans and post-retirement life insurance plans

PPIF

   Public, project and infrastructure finance; an LOB of MIS

Profit Participation Plan

   Defined contribution profit participation plan that covers substantially all U.S. employees of the Company

RD&A

   Research, Data and Analytics; an LOB within MA that produces, sells and distributes research, data and related content. Includes products generated by MIS, such as analyses on major debt issuers, industry studies, and commentary on topical credit events, as well as economic research, data, quantitative risk scores, and other analytical tools that are produced within MA
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest    Represents minority shareholders' interest in entities which are controlled but not wholly-owned by Moody's and for which Moody's obligation to redeem the minority shareholders' interest is in the control of the minority shareholders

Reform Act

   Credit Rating Agency Reform Act of 2006

REITs

   Real estate investment trusts

RMBS

   Residential mortgage-backed security; part of SFG

RMS

   The Risk Management Software LOB within MA, which provides both economic and regulatory capital risk management software and implementation services. Now referred to as "ERS"

S&P

   Standard & Poor's Ratings Services; a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

SEC

   U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Securities Act

   Securities Act of 1933

Series 2005-1 Notes

   Principal amount of $300 million, 4.98% senior unsecured notes due in September 2015 pursuant to the 2005 Agreement

Series 2007-1 Notes

   Principal amount of $300 million, 6.06% senior unsecured notes due in September 2017 pursuant to the 2007 Agreement

SFG

   Structured finance group; an LOB of MIS

SG&A

   Selling, general and administrative expenses

T&E

   Travel and entertainment expenses

Total Debt

   All indebtedness of the Company as reflected on the consolidated balance sheets, excluding current accounts payable and deferred revenue incurred in the ordinary course of business

U.K.

   United Kingdom

U.S.

   United States

USD

   U.S. dollar

UTBs

   Unrecognized tax benefits

UTPs

   Uncertain tax positions

2000 Distribution

   The distribution by Old D&B to its shareholders of all the outstanding shares of New D&B common stock on September 30, 2000

2000 Distribution

Agreement

   Agreement governing certain ongoing relationships between the Company and New D&B after the 2000 Distribution including the sharing of any liabilities for the payment of taxes, penalties and interest resulting from unfavorable IRS rulings on certain tax matters and certain other potential tax liabilities

2005 Agreement

   Note purchase agreement dated September 30, 2005, relating to the Series 2005-1 Notes

2007 Agreement

   Note purchase agreement dated September 7, 2007, relating to the Series 2007-1 Notes

2007 Facility

   Revolving credit facility of $1 billion entered into on September 28, 2007, expiring in 2012

2008 Term Loan

   Five-year $150 million senior unsecured term loan entered into by the Company on May 7, 2008

2010 Senior Notes

   Principal amount of $500 million, 5.50% senior unsecured notes due in September 2020 pursuant to the Indenture

2012 Facility

   Revolving credit facility of $1 billion entered into on April 18, 2012, expiring in 2017

7WTC

   The Company's corporate headquarters located at 7 World Trade Center in New York, NY

7WTC Lease

   Operating lease agreement entered into on October 20, 2006