Moody's is deeply entrenched in its market and despite recent severe failings enjoys some residual trust from its consumers, making it possible to survive, even in shrunken form, most governmental or short-term market setbacks.
As long as debt is publicly traded, investors will need to know "will I get my money back?" and demand that that answer come from independent sources. Recent setbacks don't weaken that long-term trend, which continues to strengthen with the fundamental forces of globalization, technological advance, and increasing transparency in both rich-world and emerging economies.
Moody's is one of three known brands in the credit rating industry, and enjoys durable competitive advantages with some pricing power in spite of the inherently commodified nature of bond ratings.
The company is closely aligned with the fortunes of the capital market, and could enjoy tailwinds from growth, increasing complexity, and information technology.
