Moody's Acquires Omega Performance, Enhances Online Credit Training Platform

NEW YORK--()--Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced today that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Omega Performance, a leading provider of online credit training.

Founded in 1976 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Omega Performance is a business unit of TwentyEighty Inc. It offers a wide range of online credit training courses to clients worldwide and serves more than 300 customers, ranging from large global banks to local lending institutions.

Omega Performance is widely recognized for its robust credit training capabilities, which complement the industry-leading learning solutions offered by Moody’s Analytics,” said Ari Lehavi, Executive Director, Learning Solutions at Moody’s Analytics. “Adding Omega’s offerings reinforces Moody’s Analytics as a market standard in credit proficiency for financial institutions worldwide spanning the full spectrum of consumer, small business and corporate lending.”

Omega’s rich repository of lending case studies will significantly enhance the highly-regarded Moody’s Analytics online Credit Coach learning platform, which empowers financial professionals to make better lending decisions by providing a learning experience that is customized to each user’s specific analytical needs. Using sophisticated algorithms that track respondents’ performance as they study real-life business scenarios, Credit Coach guides each learner through targeted coursework designed to remediate indicated areas of weakness. With the addition of Omega’s case studies and content, Credit Coach will provide an even broader range of credit and risk scenarios facing today’s lending and investment professionals.

Both Moody’s clients and Omega’s clients will greatly benefit from the synergies of the combined organization. By using a consistent framework across the institution, banks can systematically and efficiently train their staff, certify their proficiency, and benchmark the performance of both individuals and business units.

This acquisition is an important development for financial institutions in search of a modern and comprehensive learning platform with a globally recognized credit certification to help elevate lending and risk management practices to compete and navigate more effectively in a rapidly evolving marketplace. The combined capabilities of Moody’s Analytics and Omega Performance offers a best-in-class, cost-effective solution to these challenges,” said Lehavi.

The acquisition is expected to close within 30 days and is not expected to have a material impact on Moody’s 2018 financial results.

For further information about Moody’s Analytics eLearning solutions, visit www.moodysanalytics.com/elearning-courses.

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 $4.2 billion in 2017, employs approximately 12,300 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.

ABOUT TwentyEighty

TwentyEighty is a portfolio of some of the most respected learning, development, and performance improvement brands in the industry, including Miller Heiman Group, VitalSmarts, AchieveForum, Strategy Execution & Omega Performance. www.twentyeighty.com

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Forward-Looking Statements

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. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s 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, 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, credit market disruptions or economic slowdowns, which could 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 regulation, credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates and other volatility in the financial markets such as that due to the U.K.’s referendum vote whereby the U.K. citizens voted to withdraw from the EU; 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; 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, including provisions in 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, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquires 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 and the expansion of supervisory remit to include non-EU ratings used for regulatory purposes; 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; exposure to potential criminal sanctions or civil remedies if the Company fails to comply with foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that are applicable in the jurisdictions in which the Company 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 or other business combinations and the ability of the Company to successfully integrate 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. Other factors, risks and uncertainties relating to our acquisition of Bureau van Dijk could cause our actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including risks relating to the integration of Bureau van Dijk’s operations, products and employees into Moody’s and the possibility that anticipated synergies and other benefits of the acquisition will not be realized in the amounts anticipated or will not be realized within the expected timeframe; risks that the acquisition could have an adverse effect on the business of Bureau van Dijk or its prospects, including, without limitation, on relationships with vendors, suppliers or customers; claims made, from time to time, by vendors, suppliers or customers; changes in the European or global marketplaces that have an adverse effect on the business of Bureau van Dijk. 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 the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in other filings made by the Company 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 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.

Contacts

Moody’s Corporation
Stephen Maire, 1 212-553-7424
Global Head of Investor Relations and Communications
stephen.maire@moodys.com
or
Michael Adler, 1 212-553-4667
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
michael.adler@moodys.com

Release Summary

Moody's Acquires Omega Performance, Enhances Online Credit Training Platform

Contacts

Moody’s Corporation
Stephen Maire, 1 212-553-7424
Global Head of Investor Relations and Communications
stephen.maire@moodys.com
or
Michael Adler, 1 212-553-4667
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
michael.adler@moodys.com