We provide insights into determinants of the rating level of 371 issuers which defaulted in the years 1999 to 2003, and into the leader-follower relationship between Moody's and S&P. The evidence for the rating level suggests that Moody's assigns lower ratings than S&P for all observed periods...

Credit rating agencies formulate publicly available opinions on the capacity and willingness of debtors to repay debts. By doing so, they reduce the information asymmetry between creditors and borrowers. Owing to regulatory efforts commenced in recent years, credit rating processes have become...

This article examines the reforms introduced in the US and the EU to limit the power of credit rating agencies and address their organisational and structural problems that were exposed by the global financial crisis. It discusses the relevant provisions of the US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform...

The development of EU financial regulation after the financial crisis has been characterised by a growing attention given to supervision and enforcement rules, in order to guarantee both the stability of the markets and the protection of investors. In this context, the regulation of credit...

The recent financial crisis has triggered considerable concerns about the activities of credit rating agencies (CRAs), which has led to a shift away from self-regulation based on voluntary compliance with the IOSCO Code to the implementation of a regulatory framework at EU level under the...

This short note explores the formal introduction of the leading credit rating agencies into the field of sustainable finance and all that comes with that moniker. In 2016, the leading agencies announced their plans to incorporate ‘Environmental, Social, and Governance' concerns into their...

Recently, the leading Credit Rating Agencies vowed to embrace the initiative developed by the ‘Principles for Responsible Investment' organisation to incorporate environmental, social, and governance factors into their ratings in a ‘more systemic way'. In this short note, the focus will be...