Moody's Corporation (MCO)

Moody's earns back roughly 77 cents of every dollar its shareholders have in the company, one of the highest figures you'll see.

What is going on right now?

The price has been climbing steadily and now sits above where it was over the past month and past several months. It has risen fast enough that similar streaks have sometimes paused to catch their breath.

How is the business itself doing?

Moody's does two things: it grades how likely borrowers are to pay back their debts, and it sells data tools. Earnings grew about 18% even though sales barely budged, because the company keeps about 46 cents of profit from every dollar of revenue.

What stands out?

It carries debt worth over twice its shareholders' stake, yet it generates around $2.5 billion in cash each year, enough to cover its own bills without outside help.

What comes next?

UK inflation was reported at 3.5%, which could slow the pace of new bond issues there. Since Moody's earns fees each time someone issues rated debt, fewer new bonds in that market would show up directly in its ratings revenue.