Quick Stats (as of April 21, 2026)
| Metric | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Short Interest % of FF | 1.97% | +51.2% (1 month) |
| Shares Short | 3.24M | +37.9% (1 week) |
| Days to Cover | 2.57 | - |
| Cost to Borrow | 0.42% | +8.6% (1 week) |
| Availability % of SI | 4,238% | Very high |
| Utilization | 2.35% | Low |
Analysis: Short interest surged in early April, jumping from ~2.7M shares on April 9 to 3.36M by April 17 — a 20% spike in just over a week. This coincides with the stock's strong rally (+5.6% over 1 month). However, short interest remains very low at under 2% of free float, and extremely high availability (42x short interest) suggests minimal borrowing pressure. Cost to borrow is negligible at 0.42%. This is not a heavily shorted stock.
| Metric | Current | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Put/Call Ratio (PCR) | 0.83 | Bullish |
| 20-day Mean PCR | 0.93 | - |
| PCR Z-Score | -1.63 | Significantly below average |
Analysis: Options sentiment is strongly bullish. The PCR of 0.83 is well below the 20-day average of 0.93 and sits at -1.63 standard deviations — indicating call buying is significantly outpacing puts. This suggests traders are positioning for upside.
Moody's just reported Q1 2026 earnings today:
The stock has been rallying into and through earnings, up nearly 5% over the past month. The combination of an EPS beat, raised GAAP guidance, and aggressive buyback authorization has fueled optimism.
| Score | Rating | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Total Stock Score | 77.9 / 100 | Strong |
| Short Score | 31.5 / 100 | Low short pressure |
Analysis: The total stock score of 77.9 indicates Moody's is performing well across ORTEX's composite metrics (fundamentals, technicals, momentum, value, quality). The low short score reflects minimal bearish positioning — consistent with the 1.97% SI % FF.
Top correlated peers (1-week performance):
| Ticker | Company | Correlation | 1-Week % |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI | MSCI Inc. | 89.7 | +4.56% |
| MORN | Morningstar | 91.0 | +4.20% |
| FDS | FactSet | 86.3 | +2.59% |
| NTRS | Northern Trust | 71.2 | +5.31% |
MCO's +4.91% weekly gain is in line with peers in the financial data/exchanges space.
MCO is a high-quality financial data company with minimal short interest (1.97% of FF), strong earnings execution (Q1 beat + raised guidance), and bullish options sentiment (PCR well below average). The recent short interest spike appears to be contrarian positioning against a strong rally, rather than a fundamental bearish thesis. With low borrowing costs, high availability, and a $2.5B buyback in play, the path of least resistance appears to be up. Analysts see 16% upside from current levels.
⚠️ Reminder: This is not financial advice. All data is subject to change and may contain errors. Do your own research before making any investment decisions.
See the live data behind this article on ORTEX.
Open MCO on ORTEX →ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
