Moody's Corp. provides credit ratings and related research, data, analytical tools, products and services. Its Moody's Investors Service unit is one of largest nationally recognized statistical rating organizations along with rivals Fitch Inc. and Standard & Poor's Corp., providing credit ratings on a range of debt obligations and issuers. Its Moody's Analytics unit offers products and services for helping financial institutions manage credit risk, including quantitative credit risk scores, credit processing software, economic research, analytical models, financial data, securities pricing software and valuation models, and training and other professional services. The New York-based company is partially owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The company had been spun out from business publisher Dun & Bradstreet in 2000.

The company's reputation took a hit -- as did its rivals' -- with the write-downs and losses in the mortgage meltdown and financial crisis. Investor discontent and possible regulation could threaten the credit analysis business. Other challenges on the horizon for NSROs such as Moody's include competition from other credit ratings agencies, as well as investors doing their own credit analysis.