NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced today that it has agreed to acquire Equilibrium, a leading provider of credit rating and research services in Peru and other countries in Latin America.

Based in Peru, Equilibrium has operated since 1996. Following the acquisition, Equilibrium will continue to issue domestic ratings in Peru and Panama with an independent analytical and rating committee process. Renzo Barbieri will continue to lead Equilibrium’s operations following the acquisition.

“Equilibrium is highly-regarded for the quality of its credit ratings and research and the broad scope of its analytical coverage,” said Raymond McDaniel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Moody's. “This acquisition positions Equilibrium to serve the growing needs of issuers and investors across Latin America while deepening Moody’s presence in this dynamic and expanding market.”

Equilibrium and Moody’s Investors Service have had a technical services agreement since 2007, through which Moody's has provided Equilibrium with technical support based on its globally recognized credit analysis techniques for companies, governments, financial institutions and structured finance.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015, subject to regulatory approval. It is not expected to have an impact on Moody’s earnings per share in 2015 and will be funded from a combination of US and international cash on hand. Equilibrium’s operations in El Salvador will not be acquired; the other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ABOUT MOODY’S CORPORATION

Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets. Moody's Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory services and research for credit and economic analysis and financial risk management. The Corporation, which reported revenue of $3.3 billion in 2014, employs approximately 9,900 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 33 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.

“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 the Company’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any duty to supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company is identifying examples of factors, risks and uncertainties 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 current world-wide credit market disruptions and economic slowdown, which is affecting and could continue to affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates and other volatility in the financial markets; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the US and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government initiatives to respond to the current world-wide credit market disruptions and economic slowdown; 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 a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations, including provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Financial Reform Act”) and regulations resulting from that act; 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 to which the Company may be subject from time to time; provisions in the Financial Reform Act 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; the possible loss of key employees; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of the Company’s global tax planning initiatives; the outcome of those legacy tax matters and legal contingencies that relate to the Company, its predecessors and their affiliated companies for which the Company has assumed portions of the financial responsibility; the impact of mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations and the ability of the Company to successfully integrate the acquired businesses; currency and foreign exchange volatility; 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 the Company’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 the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’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 the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. New factors may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict new factors, nor can the Company assess the potential effect of any new factors on it.

Moody’s Corporation
MEDIA:
Michael Adler, 212-553-4667
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
michael.adler@moodys.com
or
INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Salli Schwartz, 212-553-4862
Global Head of Investor Relations
sallilyn.schwartz@moodys.com

Source: Moody’s Corporation