Moody’s Investors Service
Credit risk in asset securitisations: an analytical model
How much capital should banks reserve against investments in portfolio securitisations? Asserting that recent proposals on this subject by Basel are inconsistent, Michael Pykhtin and Ashish Dev propose a new analytical model suitable for tranches of…
Nera readies for CDO ‘notching’ investigation
New York-based economic consulting firm National Economics Research Associates (Nera) has finalised its research plan for its structured finance ratings comparability study.
Moody’s extends RiskCalc to cover France
Moody’s Risk Management Services today released a Web-based model, RiskCalc France, for estimating the probability that French firms will default on debt obligations.
Changes afoot at rating agencies
Rating agencies are under fire once again, this time for failing to anticipate Enron’s bankruptcy. But they are looking to improve their methodology. What do the changes mean for banks that will have to rely on their ratings under Basel II?
Moody's launches LossCalc
Moody’s Risk Management Services (MRMS) claims that its latest product, LossCalc, is the first risk management tool to predict loss-given default (LGD) for investors in the event of a company’s bankruptcy.
Defaults hit new record levels, says Moody’s
International rating agency Moody’s said that credit losses due to defaults reached record levels in 2001, as loss rates on speculative-grade defaulted bonds surged and recovery rates on the defaulted bonds plummeted for the third straight year.
CDOs of asset-backed securities prove their worth, says Moody's
Collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) of asset-backed securities (ABS) and other repackaged securities,have suffered minimal credit deterioration in response to the general macroeconomic decline, according to credit rating agency Moody's.
No systemic risk management failure at AIB, says Moody's
Rating agency Moody's has confirmed its Aa3 rating for Allied Irish Banks' long-term debt, despite the bank'sannouncement of a suspected $750 million fraud at its US subsidiary, Allfirst Financial.
Asian securitisation market hits post-crisis record
The Asian securitisation market has registered its most successful year since the Asian financial crisis, with cross-border issuance totalling $2.74 billion in 2001, according to international rating agency Moody’s. This growth is set to continue, with…
European credit quality falls steeply in 2001, says Moody's
Credit rating downgrades outnumbered upgrades by more than two-to-one for corporations and governments outside the US during 2001, according to international rating agency Moody's – a complete reversal on 2000, when upgrades exceeded downgrades by a more…
Building for Basel
The 2005 implementation date for the new Basel II Accord – already postponed by a year – is looming large. Whilst the banking sector is steadily gearing up for the proposed changes, there are fears that some institutions may be left behind.
A perfect rating
Profile
ING Barings debuts with synthetic CDO in Asia
ING Barings, the investment banking arm of Dutch bancassurer ING, has arranged what it claims to be the first arbitrage synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO) transaction managed by a portfolio manager in Asia, in an attempt to cater to the…
McDaniel to head of Moody's investor services
International rating agency Moody's has made Raymond McDaniel president of Moody's investors service. He will manage Moody's global ratings and research businesses following a 14-year tenure with the firm.
French banks stable following US attacks, says Moody's
International rating agency Moody’s said the credit quality of French banks will remain stable despite the uncertain economic climate in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the US. “The French banking sector continues to rank among the strongest…
WTC-hit derivatives houses maintain ratings
International rating agency Moody’s has confirmed the ratings on five derivatives firms, following initial concern that the houses, all located in or near the World Trade Center, would be adversely affected by the terrorist attacks of 11 September.
Preparing for the worst
Small and medium-sized banks in the US and Europe are bracing themselves for Basel II. Gallagher Polyn examines how these institutions plan to adapt to the new Accord.
Rating agencies to keep an eye on the banking sector
The world’s three key rating agencies have released statements about the possible repercussions on the banking sector of last week’s tragic attacks in New York. Moody’s said it is not contemplating any immediate rating downgrades for European banks…
Unleashing Asia’s demons
The Basel Committee’s new consultative paper on capital adequacy could wreak havoc with Asia’s domestic banks. The revamped rules will make the shortcomings of their risk management systems all too clear.
Unleashing Asia's demons
The Basel Committee’s new consultative paper on capital adequacy could wreak havoc with Asia’s domestic banks. The revamped rules will make the shortcomings of their risk management systems all too clear.
Openness essential to avoid Basel II Op Risk inconsistency, say credit-raters
Openness and disclosure between banks and global regulators will be "highly desirable, if not essential" if there are not to be major inconsistencies in setting operational risk charges after 2004.
Documentation dilemmas
Concerns over credit event definitions and the Basel Committee’s ‘ w ’ capital charge on credit mitigation instruments will not be easily resolved.
A lot of loose ends and not much time
There's little surprise, but reactions still range from cautious approval to outright hostility. And all sides agree that some very big loose ends remain to be tied up on a very tight schedule.