AI Pressure Splits Investor Views on Moody’s and S&P Global

Artificial intelligence is changing how investors value the world’s biggest credit-rating companies. According to a Forbes report published on June 8, 2026, Moody’s and S&P Global are increasingly being viewed as two businesses inside one company: a highly protected credit-ratings franchise and a data-and-analytics operation that may face stronger AI competition.

Why AI Is Creating a New Divide

For decades, Moody’s and S&P Global have benefited from their powerful position in global finance. Their credit ratings are used by bond investors, banks, governments, and corporations to judge borrowing risk. That ratings business remains difficult to replace because it is deeply tied to regulation, investor trust, and long-standing market habits.

However, the story is different for their data and analytics divisions. These units sell research, financial data, risk tools, and workflow products. As generative AI improves, investors are asking whether cheaper AI-powered platforms could challenge parts of those services.

Ratings Businesses Still Look Strong

Moody’s latest results showed that its ratings arm, Moody’s Investors Service, remained strong. The company reported that revenue in the division rose 17% in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching $946 million.

This growth was helped by active bond markets. Large technology companies have been raising huge amounts of capital to fund AI infrastructure, including data centers and advanced computing systems. Reuters reported that AI hyperscalers are expected to drive higher U.S. corporate bond supply in 2026.

S&P Global Faces More Investor Caution

S&P Global also remains a major force in credit ratings, market data, indices, and financial intelligence. The company reported 2025 revenue of $15.3 billion, up 8%, with adjusted diluted earnings per share rising 14%.

Still, investors have shown more concern about how AI may affect S&P Global’s data and software-like businesses. Reuters reported in February 2026 that S&P Global shares fell after its profit forecast came in below expectations, while AI disruption worries weighed on sentiment.

Moody’s Pushes Back Against AI Fears

Moody’s has argued that its data, expertise, and intellectual property are not easy to copy. Reuters reported that Moody’s executives reassured investors about AI disruption risks, saying the company’s proprietary systems and long history give it a strong defensive position.

The company is also using AI inside its own products. Moody’s has described its strategy as building “decision-grade” intelligence into customer workflows, including AI-enabled interfaces.

The Main Investor Question

The key question is not whether Moody’s and S&P Global will survive AI. They almost certainly remain important financial institutions. The bigger question is how much investors should pay for each part of the business.

The ratings divisions may deserve premium valuations because they are regulated, trusted, and hard to replace. The analytics divisions may face more pressure because AI tools can summarize documents, analyze data, create financial models, and answer research questions faster than before.

AI Could Be Both a Threat and an Opportunity

AI may reduce the value of some traditional research products, but it could also make Moody’s and S&P Global more efficient. If these companies use AI to improve speed, cut costs, and create smarter tools, they may protect their market positions.

S&P Global has already made AI a major topic in its research and product strategy. The company says rising AI investment is raising questions about productivity, economic benefits, market structure, and credit risk.

What This Means for the Market

The credit-rating giants are now part of a larger market debate. Investors are not only buying companies that benefit from AI. They are also examining which established firms could be disrupted by AI.

For Moody’s and S&P Global, the split is clear. Their ratings businesses still look highly durable. Their data businesses must prove they can adapt, defend pricing power, and turn AI into an advantage rather than a weakness.

Conclusion

AI has not broken the credit-rating giants, but it has changed how Wall Street thinks about them. Moody’s and S&P Global still control essential parts of global finance. Yet investors are now separating their stable ratings franchises from their more exposed analytics platforms.

The winners will likely be the companies that combine trusted financial data, strong regulation, expert judgment, and practical AI tools. In that race, Moody’s and S&P Global still have major advantages—but the market is no longer valuing every part of their businesses the same way.

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