Moody's Corporation vs Principal Financial Group
Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities
Credit rating and analytics duopolist with $7.1B FY2024 revenue; Berkshire Hathaway ~12% stake; 50%+ MIS operating margins; generative AI tools for credit analysis; RMS catastrophe risk acquisition.
About
Moody's Corporation is a global integrated risk assessment firm and the parent of Moody's Investors Service (MIS), one of the world's two largest credit rating agencies, and Moody's Analytics (MA), a leading provider of financial intelligence and analytical tools, founded in 1909 by John Moody in New York City, where it remains headquartered and trades on NYSE (MCO). The company generated approximately $7.1 billion in revenues for FY2024 under CEO Rob Fauber, with Moody's Investors Service benefiting from elevated debt issuance volumes driven by corporate refinancing activity, CLO formation, and infrastructure financing, while Moody's Analytics delivered high single-digit growth from recurring subscription revenues in its banking, insurance, and corporate risk management software platforms. Berkshire Hathaway owns approximately 12% of Moody's shares, a long-term holding reflecting Warren Buffett's appreciation for the company's near-duopoly pricing power in credit ratings.
Des Moines retirement and asset management (NASDAQ: PFG) at $16.13B 2024 revenue (+18%), $753B AUM; new CEO Deanna Strable (Jan 2025), Ascensus ESOP acquisition (2024), $1.7T AUA competing with Empower for mid-market 401(k).
About
Principal Financial Group, Inc. is a Des Moines, Iowa-based financial services company — publicly traded on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: PFG) as an S&P 500 Financials component — providing retirement savings, asset management, and group insurance and benefits to 61 million customers worldwide through approximately 20,000 employees with $753 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of Q2 2025, $1.7 trillion in assets under administration, and $16.13 billion in 2024 annual revenue (up 18% year-over-year) with net income of $1.57 billion. Founded in 1879 as The Bankers Life Association by Edward Temple and Simon Casady to provide affordable life insurance to Iowans, Principal demutualized and completed its IPO in 2001. Deanna Strable became President and CEO in January 2025 (succeeding Dan Houston), with Joel Pitz named CFO. Principal operates through three segments: Retirement and Income Solutions (RIS — 401(k), 403(b), defined benefit plans, nonqualified executive benefits, pension risk transfer, and individual retirement products), Principal Asset Management (equity, fixed income, real estate, and alternative investments for institutional clients), and Benefits and Protection (group dental, vision, life, and disability insurance). Key acquisitions include AFP Cuprum (Chilean pension, $1.5B, 2012), Wells Fargo's institutional retirement and trust business ($1.2B, 2019, adding 401(k)/pension/ESOP plans), and the 2024 agreement to acquire Ascensus's ESOP business (800 plans, 165,000+ participants). Principal's market capitalization stands at approximately $18.3 billion.
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