BMO Capital analyst Jeffrey Silber raised his price target on Moody's to $172, saying the miss in its Q4 earnings came from the MIS segment decline that was offset by strong expense efficiencies and margin expansion. The analyst also cites the company's better than expected guidance "driven by new products to offset slower MIS trends", accelerating buybacks, and cost controls. Silber keeps his Market Perform rating on Moody's, noting that while its "entry into private company information should diversify the business", it remains "mostly exposed to debt issuance trends."