"Our Children and Grandchildren are not merely statistics towards which we can be indifferent" JFK

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Standard and Poor's just realized Greece is having issues and rates Greece Debt as Junk

We have updated our assessment of the political, economic, and budgetary
challenges that the Greek government faces in its efforts to place
Greece's public debt burden onto a sustained downward trajectory.

We are lowering our ratings on Greece to 'BB+/B' from 'BBB+/A-2' and
assigning a negative outlook.

The negative outlook reflects the possibility of a further downgrade if
the Greek government's ability to implement its fiscal and structural
reform program materially weakens in our view, undermined by domestic
political opposition at home or by even weaker economic conditions than
we currently assume.

MADRID (Standard & Poor's) April 27, 2010--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it has lowered its long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings on the Hellenic Republic (Greece) to 'BB+' and 'B', respectively, from 'BBB+' and 'A-2'. The outlook is negative. At the same time, we assigned a recovery rating of '4' to Greece's debt issues, indicating our expectation of "average" (30%-50%) recovery for debtholders in the event of a debt restructuring or payment default. The 'AAA' transfer and convertibility assessment is unchanged.

"The downgrade results from our updated assessment of the political, economic, and budgetary challenges that the Greek government faces in its efforts to put the public debt burden onto a sustained downward trajectory," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Marko Mrsnik.

Link to Press Release

The general meaning of our credit rating opinions is summarized below.
‘AAA’—Extremely strong capacity to meet financial commitments. Highest Rating.

‘AA’—Very strong capacity to meet financial commitments.

‘A’—Strong capacity to meet financial commitments, but somewhat susceptible to adverse economic conditions and changes in circumstances.

‘BBB’—Adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions.

‘BBB-‘—Considered lowest investment grade by market participants.

‘BB+’—Considered highest speculative grade by market participants.

‘BB’—Less vulnerable in the near-term but faces major ongoing uncertainties to adverse business, financial and economic conditions.

‘B’—More vulnerable to adverse business, financial and economic conditions but currently has the capacity to meet financial commitments.

‘CCC’—Currently vulnerable and dependent on favorable business, financial and economic conditions to meet financial commitments.

‘CC’—Currently highly vulnerable.

‘C’—Currently highly vulnerable obligations and other defined circumstances.

‘D’—Payment default on financial commitments.

Note: Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the




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