Moody’s Investors Service
Moody's hits out at combined cash and synthetic CDOs
Moody's Investors Service has warned investors that the International Swaps and Derivatives Association legal documentation underpinning combined cash and synthetic collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) is far from perfect.
S&P versus Basel II: A fragile accord
By publicly casting doubt over aspects of the Basel II Accord's methodology, rating agency Standard & Poor's is voicing concerns shared by many in the banking industry. Joanne Hart asks how this dispute may affect bondholders and the market in general.
Japanese arbitrage CDO issuance to remain at standstill
The issuance of arbitrage synthetic and cash collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) in Japan is set to remain at a standstill due to tight credit spreads, according to a report published by Moody’s Investors Service.
Rumbles in the ratings jungle
Things are astir in the ratings jungle. Moody's published a paper earlier this year detailing a specific approach to assessing operational risk. Fitch will shortly be devoting a separate section of its rating reports to op risk. And Standard & Poor's,…
Resecuritisation set for rapid growth in Japan, says Moody's
Resecuritisation deals - collateralised loan obligations (CLOs) backed by structured finance securities - are likely to grow in Japan, according to a report issued this week by Moody’s Investors Service.
Moody’s KMV releases RiskCalc for Korean private firms
Moody’s KMV has released RiskCalc Korea, a web-based model for estimating the probability of default or expected default frequencies (EDF) on obligations of non-financial Korean private companies.
Moody's claims documentation affects recovery values
Recovery values assigned to a single reference entity in credit derivatives contracts are inconsistent, partly due to a lack of standardised valuation documents, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
Lessons in loaning
Lenders and borrowers alike are becoming ever more innovative at a worrying time for energy company financing. But will the new ideas catch on? Paul Lyon reports
Lehman and Agricultural Bank of China close synthetic CDO
Lehman Brothers International Europe, the European arm of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, has launched an arbitrage synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO) referenced to a $1 billion portfolio of 120 entities that will be managed by the…
Sumitomo closes Japan’s first CDO backed by structured finance transactions
Tokyo-based Sumitomo Trust and Banking (STB) has closed Japan's first synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO) referenced to a semi-managed portfolio of structured finance transactions. The deal was worth ¥70 billion ($591 million).
Lehman launches more minibonds in Hong Kong
Lehman Brothers has launched retail minibonds linked to the credit of Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa today, making it the fourth time the bank has launched such a product in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Sony hit by poor earnings reports and downgrade threat
Credit default swap spreads on Japan’s largest consumer and electronics group, Sony, widened further this week, following weaker than expected earnings results and the potential threat of a downgrade by Moody’s Investor Services, say traders.
Risk management and data "are critical success factors" in insurer ratings, says Moody's
US-based rating agency Moody's says "the quality of data and risk management are growing in importance as success factors" for insurance companies, and as a result it is putting additional emphasis on these areas when reviewing a company, according to a…
Japanese banks: Turning up the heat
Japan's banks have faced a gruelling few months in the run-up to the fiscal year-end, with a plunge in equity prices putting severe pressure on capital ratios. But a further crisis may be just around the corner, writes Nick Sawyer.
Moody’s sees record Japanese yen CDO issuance
International rating agency Moody’s Investors Service said today it rated a record ¥3.02 trillion ($25 billion) of collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) in the first quarter of the year. That compares to full-year volume of ¥3.14 trillion in 2002.
IT infrastructure influences credit ratings, say agencies
NEW YORK - Credit rating agencies, including Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody’s Investor Services and Fitch Ratings, are now more frequently assessing buy-side technology in terms of supporting operations and, in some instances, sources of operational risk.
Berating the raters
Last year the rating agencies were slammed in certain quarters for reacting too slowly to market events; this year, there are complaints that the agencies have overcompensated by reacting too fast. So what level of responsiveness will satisfy the bond…
Rating agencies open can of worms
NEW YORK — Rating agencies are coming under much closer scrutiny as providers of operational risk analysis, as a result of the Basel Accord revisions and recent US corporate scandals.
Poor auto sales and Fiat downgrade drives some spreads wider
The downgrade of debt issued by troubled Italian auto manufacturer Fiat to junk status sent the cost of its credit protection wider by about 125 basis points to 875/975bp. And poor US February auto sales released mid-week also prompted the widening on…
Credit watch
Risk management and analytics firm RiskMetrics gives this month’s analysis of energy companies’ credit quality using its CreditGrades tool
Ahold woes keep spreads wide in European credit default market
The European credit derivatives market has remained volatile this week following a series of problems faced by Dutch retailer Ahold. Corporate default swap levels were pushed wider at the start of the week, following revelations about accounting…
Ahold credit protection trading on upfront-only basis
Credit protection for Dutch retailer Ahold is now trading on an upfront basis only following the company's admission of accounting irregularities.
Italian securitisation volumes slightly up on last year
The Italian securitisation market saw minimal growth last year, according to reports from the two major rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s (S&P). Moody’s estimated a total of €36.7 billion in credit risk transferred – a 16% rise compared with…