ratings

Moody's will strip the US of its AAA rating if a deficit reduction deal is not struck in Congress, it has warned.

London's FTSE 100 slipped into the red in early trading this morning after Fitch Ratings cut Spain's long-term credit rating and predicted a slump through 2013.

The government received more income than it spent in January, posting the highest surplus for four years following a drive to cut public spending.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded Egypt's credit rating further as the ongoing upheaval in the country continues.

Credit ratings agency Fitch has cut Hungary's long-term foreign and local currency debt to junk status, following a tumultuous week for the country.

Europe's single currency reached a 15-month low against the dollar following a French bond auction this morning which saw almost all of the €8bn of debt targeted being sold.

European regulators may be given new powers to suspend credit ratings of countries seeking or undergoing bailouts to prevent the "negative spillover effects to other countries", according to proposals for tougher regulation issued by the European Commission....

Ratings agency Moody's has cut the Republic of Ireland's debt rating to junk status.

The downgrading of Portugal's debt to 'junk' status by Moody's earlier this week has led to renewed criticism, this time from the European Commission (EC), of the role and behaviour of credit ratings agencies.

Fitch has become the latest ratings agency to threaten a downgrade of the US' AAA credit rating, warning it will review the rating in August if the country cannot reduce its debt pile.