Earlier tonight, S&P pulled the trigger and downgraded the United States one notch from AAA to AA+. As a result, the United States now has the same credit rating as Belgium, and is looking up at AAA countries such as Canada and Australia. So what exactly does a AA+ credit rating mean? Let's look at S&P's credit ratings definitions: AA+, AA, AA- (Aa1, Aa2, Aa3): This rating category indicates that the issuer has a “very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.”The differences from AAA are very small, and it’s very rare that bonds in these credit tiers will default. From 1981 through 2010, only 1.3 percent of global corporate bonds originally rated AA eventually went into default.

20 Aug 2011 S&P adds a plus “+” or minus “-” at the end of its ratings to differentiate bonds For instance, for bonds rated “double-A”, AA+ is better than AA-. 6 Aug 2011 The drop in the rating by one notch to AA-plus was telegraphed as a possibility back in April. The three main credit agencies, which also  Plus (+) or minus (-) signs following ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' show relative follows procedures consistent with issue credit rating definitions and practices. 12 Mar 2016 Finland registered an economic growth of 0.4 percent last year and there is no proof of strong potential growth now, Fitch noted in its ratings  6 Aug 2011 U.S. debt now will carry a rating of AA-plus instead of the coveted AAA, dropping it into the same general category as countries such as Japan,  18 Apr 2011 But what are credit rating agencies and how do ratings work? Ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or 

* Ratings between AA and B categories can be designated with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign according to their relative status within each generic rating category.

23 Apr 2013 Credit analyst Martha Toll-Reed said the rating "reflects the company's 'minimal' financial risk profile and 'strong' business risk profile." Despite  2 AMERICAN NATIONAL Company Ratings A A NA NA Signature Term Signature Smoking Definition: Pref Plus-5 years no nicotine use, Preferred-3 years no  AA+/Aa1 are ratings issued to long-term bond issuers by Moody's and S&P, respectively. The rating of the issuer designates the creditworthiness of the issuer. AA+/Aa1 is the second highest rating a Higher ratings come with triple letters, and grades that come with a plus are better than those with a minus. What Does AAA Mean? S&P's AAA rating is the highest that can be assigned to any issuer S&P Downgrades US Credit Rating to AA-Plus. The United States lost its top-notch triple-A credit rating from Standard & Poor's Friday, in a dramatic reversal of fortune for the world's largest economy. S&P cut the long-term U.S. credit rating by one notch to AA-plus on concerns about growing budget deficits. Earlier tonight, S&P pulled the trigger and downgraded the United States one notch from AAA to AA+. As a result, the United States now has the same credit rating as Belgium, and is looking up at AAA countries such as Canada and Australia. So what exactly does a AA+ credit rating mean? Let's look at S&P's credit ratings definitions: A Moody's Baa rating is the same as a BBB from S&P. The agencies will also use plus and minus symbols to further break down the credit levels. For example, an AA rated company may be an AA plus, AA or AA minus, from best to worst. AA to AAA Spreads

12 Jul 2010 Dagong gave China's yuan-denominated debt an "AA-plus" rating with a stable outlook -- higher than Moody's "A1" and S&P's "A-plus" -- due to 

Note. CRISIL may apply '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) signs for ratings from 'CRISIL AA' to 'CRISIL C' to reflect comparative standing within the category. CRISIL may  5 Aug 2011 Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S.'s triple-A credit rating to AA-plus late Friday and issued a negative outlook, meaning another 

18 Apr 2011 But what are credit rating agencies and how do ratings work? Ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or 

The Big Three Credit rating agencies (Moodys, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s [aka S&P]) use an alphabetical ranking system to rank the risks associated with debt. The relevant type of debt currently in the news is long-term bond debt, which is ranke For credit ratings that are derived exclusively from an existing credit rating of a program, series, category/class of debt, support provider or primary rated entity, or that replace a previously assigned provisional rating at the same rating level, Moody’s publishes a rating announcement on that series, category/class of debt or program as a Note: For the rating categories [ICRA]AA through to [ICRA]C, the modifiers + (plus) or – (minus) may be appended to the rating symbols to indicate their relative position within the rating categories concerned. Thus, the rating of [ICRA]AA+ is one notch higher than [ICRA]AA, while [ICRA]AA- is one notch lower than [ICRA]AA. By selecting "Continue", you will leave card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com and enter a third party Web site. card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com is not responsible for the content of, or products and services provided by , nor does it guarantee the system availability or accuracy of information contained in the site.This Web site is not controlled by card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com. Understanding CRISIL ratings A credit rating represents a rating agency’s opinion on the likelihood of the rated debt obligation being repaid in full and on time. This opinion helps stakeholders comparatively assess investment options, and facilitates the issuer’s access to funds. Rating agencies assign credit ratings using three rating

AA+, AA, AA- (Aa1, Aa2, Aa3): This rating category indicates that the issuer has a “very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.” The differences from AAA are very small, and it’s very rare that bonds in these credit tiers will default.

The ratings from AA to CCC in long-term credit ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) to show relative standing within the major rating categories. International Credit Rating AAA - An obligor rated ‘AAA’ has EXTREMELY STRONG capacity to meet its financial commitments. ‘AAA’ is the highest Issuer Credit Rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. Plus (+) or minus(-) - The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. The Big Three Credit rating agencies (Moodys, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s [aka S&P]) use an alphabetical ranking system to rank the risks associated with debt. The relevant type of debt currently in the news is long-term bond debt, which is ranke For credit ratings that are derived exclusively from an existing credit rating of a program, series, category/class of debt, support provider or primary rated entity, or that replace a previously assigned provisional rating at the same rating level, Moody’s publishes a rating announcement on that series, category/class of debt or program as a Note: For the rating categories [ICRA]AA through to [ICRA]C, the modifiers + (plus) or – (minus) may be appended to the rating symbols to indicate their relative position within the rating categories concerned. Thus, the rating of [ICRA]AA+ is one notch higher than [ICRA]AA, while [ICRA]AA- is one notch lower than [ICRA]AA. By selecting "Continue", you will leave card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com and enter a third party Web site. card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com is not responsible for the content of, or products and services provided by , nor does it guarantee the system availability or accuracy of information contained in the site.This Web site is not controlled by card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com. Understanding CRISIL ratings A credit rating represents a rating agency’s opinion on the likelihood of the rated debt obligation being repaid in full and on time. This opinion helps stakeholders comparatively assess investment options, and facilitates the issuer’s access to funds. Rating agencies assign credit ratings using three rating

By selecting "Continue", you will leave card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com and enter a third party Web site. card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com is not responsible for the content of, or products and services provided by , nor does it guarantee the system availability or accuracy of information contained in the site.This Web site is not controlled by card.creditcard.acg.aaa.com. Understanding CRISIL ratings A credit rating represents a rating agency’s opinion on the likelihood of the rated debt obligation being repaid in full and on time. This opinion helps stakeholders comparatively assess investment options, and facilitates the issuer’s access to funds. Rating agencies assign credit ratings using three rating