Different Types of Credit Ratings and Their Descriptions
Credit ratings are available in different scales, such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Scope. Learn how to use them to make important business decisions. Listed below are a few different types of ratings and their descriptions. There’s also a comparison of the three major credit rating agencies.
Moody’s
The Moody’s credit rating scale is a system for assessing credit risk. The scale consists of one to three letters, along with numerical modifiers. The letters indicate the quality of a debt security. For example, a Aaa bond has the highest quality, while a C bond has the lowest quality and is considered to be at high risk of default. Moreover, each letter in the scale subdivides the bond into a specific category, with the numerical modifiers indicating its rank within a rating category.
Moody’s credit rating scale is based on rigorous methodologies that are transparent to the public. Its methodology was developed more than a century ago by John Moody, and it has evolved over time to respond to the changing needs of global capital markets. The scale has a broader application and has become more detailed and refined as the credit rating industry continues to grow and develop.
Standard & Poor’s
The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) credit rating scale rates the debt of public, private and governmental entities. Its rating range is AAA to D, with intermediate ratings in between. The ratings are based on how likely a debtor is to default and how much money they can reasonably expect to lose.
Standard & Poor’s has a long-standing policy of making its credit rating information available to the public without charge. It disseminates these ratings through a wire feed to news media and real-time posts on their website. However, public access to ratings is not available to those who do not have a subscription to the company.
The Standard & Poor’s rating process involves extensive research. The company’s financial analysts sift through annual reports, business journals, and news articles to determine how much risk a company faces. They also collect information from company executives and chief financial officers.
Scope
The Scope of credit rating scale combines quantitative and qualitative analytical evaluation to produce credit ratings. Its objective is to assess the ability of sovereigns to meet their obligations to creditors. The Scope’s quantitative model focuses on five analytical pillars, and its qualitative model considers elements that CVS does not consider.
Scope is a registered credit assessment institution, according to EU rating regulations. Its ratings coverage is the fourth-largest in the European Union, after Standard & Poor’s and Fitch. Scope is also one of the few credit rating agencies with European roots. This document provides an overview of the scale’s main characteristics and provides a preliminary estimate of the default rate for credit assessments.
Scope scores are derived using a minimum-maximum algorithm. The range of scores is from one to 100. The minimum-maximum range is determined by excluding outliers.