NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) today announced that it has agreed to acquire SCRiesgo, a leading group of local credit rating agencies serving domestic financial markets in Central America and the Dominican Republic. The acquisition significantly expands Moody’s presence in Latin America and reaffirms its commitment to and support for the ongoing development of regional capital markets.
Following the acquisition, SCRiesgo will become an affiliate of Moody’s Local, Moody’s domestic credit ratings platform, with SCRiesgo continuing to issue domestic ratings with an independent analytical and rating committee process. SCRiesgo General Manager Gary Barquero will continue to lead the company’s operations following the acquisition.
“Latin America’s maturing financial markets are a priority for Moody’s as we expand our regional footprint and solidify Moody’s Local and its affiliates as leading domestic credit rating agencies in the region,” said Martin Fernandez-Romero, Managing Director and Regional Head of Latin America for Moody’s Investors Service. “SCRiesgo and its impressive team will deepen Moody’s analytical capabilities, help create further transparency in domestic markets, and extend our reach in Central America, the Dominican Republic, and beyond.”
Based in Costa Rica and El Salvador, SCRiesgo provides domestic credit ratings to banks, financial institutions, investment funds, corporations, public sector issuers, and other market participants in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
Moody’s Local is a domestic credit ratings platform launched in 2019 to provide ratings and research to capital markets across Latin America. The platform combines tailored methodologies with experienced teams of local analysts to provide valuable, market-specific insights. Moody’s Local operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. Moody’s intends to merge SCRiesgo’s Panama operations into Moody’s Local Panama soon after closing.
Moody’s acquisition of SCRiesgo is subject to regulatory approval in certain jurisdictions. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023.
ABOUT MOODY’S CORPORATION
Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moody’s combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets. Learn more at moodys.com/about.
“SAFE HARBOR” STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Moody’s is identifying certain factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the impact of general economic conditions, including inflation and related monetary policy actions by governments in response to inflation, on worldwide credit markets and economic activity and its effect on the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; the global impacts of each of the crisis in Ukraine and COVID-19 on volatility in the U.S. and world financial markets, on general economic conditions and GDP in the U.S. and worldwide, on global relations and on Moody’s own operations and personnel; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including regulation, credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates, inflation and other volatility in the financial markets; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government actions affecting credit markets, international trade and economic policy, including those related to tariffs, tax agreements and trade barriers; the impact of MIS’s withdrawal of its credit ratings on Russian entities and of Moody’s no longer conducting commercial operations in Russia; concerns in the marketplace affecting our credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent credit agency ratings; the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies; pricing pressure from competitors and/or customers; the level of success of new product development and global expansion; the impact of regulation as an NRSRO, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations; the potential for increased competition and regulation in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions; exposure to litigation related to our rating opinions, as well as any other litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries to which Moody’s may be subject from time to time; provisions in U.S. legislation modifying the pleading standards and EU regulations modifying the liability standards, applicable to credit rating agencies in a manner adverse to credit rating agencies; provisions of EU regulations imposing additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services and the expansion of supervisory remit to include non-EU ratings used for regulatory purposes; uncertainty regarding the future relationship between the U.S. and China; the possible loss of key employees; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the timing and effectiveness of our restructuring programs, such as the 2022 – 2023 Geolocation Restructuring Program; currency and foreign exchange volatility; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of Moody’s global tax planning initiatives; exposure to potential criminal sanctions or civil remedies if Moody’s fails to comply with foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that are applicable in the jurisdictions in which Moody’s operates, including data protection and privacy laws, sanctions laws, anti-corruption laws, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials; the impact of mergers, acquisitions, such as our acquisition of RMS, or other business combinations and the ability of Moody’s to successfully integrate acquired businesses; the level of future cash flows; the levels of capital investments; and a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions. These factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Moody’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in other filings made by Moody’s from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on Moody’s business, results of operations and financial condition. New factors may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Moody’s to predict new factors, nor can Moody’s assess the potential effect of any new factors on it.
Contacts
For Moody’s:
SHIVANI KAK
Investor Relations
+1 212-553-0298
Shivani.kak@moodys.com
OR
JOE MIELENHAUSEN
Communications
+1 212-553-1461
joe.mielenhausen@moodys.com
OR
EDUARDO BARKER
Communications (Latin America)
+1 212-553-7717
Eduardo.Barker@moodys.com
