Are Ratings overrated?
image credit: HEC Paris (www.hec.edu) Globally, bond ratings have been known to drive liquidity while helping investors take an informed investment decision. These credit ratings have played a significant role in the decision making process of purchasers of debt securities while also playing a role in the development of markets. The International Organisation of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) report on Corporate Bond Markets in Emerging Markets identifies Government policy and the existence of international credit rating services as underpinning factors in the general development of bond markets in EMEs, particularly following bank-based crises. [1] In spite of the unanimous verdict on the role played by credit rating agencies (CRA) in the 2007 financial crisis, a role which many attribute to the conflict of interests by CRAs arising from playing a dual role of advisory and rating, as well as a lack of competition, the opinion of CRAs regarding the ability of an issuer