Scope Ratings : The Viability of a Response

In this next instalment of the series examining the responses to the ‘status quo' of the credit rating sector, the focus of this article will be on the ever-increasing option being offered by Scope Ratings, a European firm that is aiming to represent a viable alternative by way of merging most, if not all of the small and niche credit rating agencies that exist within the European Union. The agency is advertising itself as one that is concerned with increasing the qualitative research that is undertaken when developing a credit rating, whilst also basing its approach on the incorporation of ‘stress testing' issuances, in order to ensure the highest levels of accuracy. However, the composition of the firm and its leaders alludes to a potential of a continuation of the business practices that are now, rightly, seen as part and parcel of the credit rating industry – this article will therefore examine the viability of Scope Ratings in terms of its potential for offering a real alternative to the hegemony of the Big Three