Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Economics - Finance, grade: 1.3, Berlin School of Economics and Law, language: English, abstract: After the Asian crisis during the 1990s and the startling insolvencies of Enron and Parmalat, the recent financial crisis is one the most important trigger to raise doubt concerning the proper work of rating agencies. They are criticized because of their various conflicts of interest and obvious deficits in practicing their rating methods. The rating agencies should be jointly responsible for the emergence of the so-called bubble markets during the last couple of years. Because of these bubbles and their boom and burst effect, private as well as institutional investors lost enormous sums of assets and single countries were thrown into financial turmoil. Because of these facts, the discontent concerning the rating agencies grew. People took additional notice of their market power, which they only obtained because of their influence on the global capital flows and the use of ratings to regulate the financial markets. To particularize the issues, it is helpful to bring up the year 2007, when the delayed payments among the subprime loans became more frequent. This was due to the slower increase of the housing prices and the rising short-termed interest. Consequently, the rating agencies depreciated a lot of these structured financial products, many of which had received the highest seal of quality before (AAA). Those actions both led to a massive loss of confidence on the investors' side and a remarkable decline of liquidity. The former market of securitization products no longer existed. Influenced by this development and because they were considerable involved in this securitization business, a lot of banks also got into this downstream. In the first part of this term paper I will present some general facts about the rating agencies including their history of origins. Afterwards I will mention the process of rating and th

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 2.0, University of Osnabrück, language: English, abstract: To understand the roots of the capital markets and the rating agencies I want to start this Bachelor Thesis with a historical development. With introduction of the Issuer Pays Model and the proclamation of so called NRSROs there is the starting point for a long time discussion within the credit rating industry. Then I want to introduce the case of Enron, a former energy conglomerate which has been wrongly rated by the rating agencies. I want to investigate if there are any parallels to the crisis of 2007. I also want to understand and show the reasons and the structure of the crisis of 2007. So I will introduce the Subprime market and structured finance, as these topics were probably the triggers for the crisis. The main part of my thesis is to find an explanation for the performance of the credit rating agencies. I use a theoretical model which stresses the complexity of assets. The model says that the more complex an asset is, the harder it is to rate for the agencies. In opposite to that I want to compare the results of the theoretical model with an empirical study. I want to investigate if the theoretical model gets the same result as the empirical approach or if there are huge differences. At last I want to introduce some solution proposals by myself and think about further approaches.

This Palgrave Pivot aims to examine the bourgeoning relationship between the Principles for Responsible Investment and the Credit Rating Industry. Since May of 2016, when the partnership was initially publicised, the PRI have endeavoured to incorporate Credit Rating Agencies into its initiative via its ‘ESG in Credit Ratings Initiative’, and have been working diligently to find, and create common ground between Credit Rating Agencies and Institutional Investors seeking to be more forward-looking in their investment approaches. However, in recent years the ‘Big Two’ Credit Rating Agencies – Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s – have finally received record fines for their conduct in the run-up to the Financial Crisis. There is a need, then, to examine the incorporation of the Credit Rating Agencies into such a progressive initiative. To achieve this objective, this book examines the field of ‘responsible investing’, the credit rating industry, and the power dynamic that exists between the rating industry, investors, and the PRI (via its ‘Initiative’).

To the Brink of Destruction exposes how America's rating agencies helped generate the global financial crisis of 2007 and beyond, surviving and thriving in the aftermath. Despite widespread scrutiny, rating agencies continued to operate on the same business model and wield extraordinary power, exerting extensive influence over public policy. Timothy J. Sinclair brings the shadowy corners of this story to life by examining congressional testimony, showing how the wheels of accountability turned—and ultimately failed—during the crisis. He asks how and why the agencies risked their lucrative franchise by aligning so closely with a process of financial innovation that came undone during the crisis. What he finds is that key institutions, including the agencies, changed from being judges to being advocates years before the crisis, eliminating a vital safety valve meant to hinder financial excess. Sinclair's well-researched investigation offers a clear, accessible explanation of structured finance and how it works. To the Brink of Destruction avoids tired accusations, instead providing novel insight into the role rating agencies played in the worst crisis of modern global capitalism.

Credit rating agencies play a critical role in capital markets, guiding the asset allocation of institutional investors as private capital moves freely around the world in search of the best trade-off between risk and return. However, they have also been strongly criticised for failing to spot the Asian crisis in the early 1990s, the Enron, WorldCom and Parmalat collapses in the early 2000s and finally for their ratings of subprime-related structured finance instruments and their role in the current financial crisis. This book is a guide to ratings, the ratings industry and the mechanics and economics of obtaining a rating. It sheds light on the role that the agencies play in the international financial markets. It avoids the sensationalist approach often associated with studies of rating scandals and the financial crisis, and instead provides an objective and critical analysis of the business of ratings. The book will be of practical use to any individual who has to deal with ratings and the ratings industry in their day-to-day job. Reviews "Rating agencies fulfil an important role in the capital markets, but given their power, they are frequently the object of criticism. Some of it is justified but most of it portrays a lack of understanding of their business. In their book The Rating Agencies and their Credit Ratings, Herwig and Patricia Langohr provide an excellent economic background to the role of rating agencies and also a thorough understanding of their business and the problems they face. I recommend this book to all those who have an interest in this somewhat arcane but extremely important area." -Robin Monro-Davies, Former CEO, Fitch Ratings. "At a time of unprecedented public and political scrutiny of the effectiveness and indeed the basic business model of the Credit Rating industry, and heightened concerns regarding the transparency and accountability of the leading agencies, this book provides a commendably comprehensive overview, and should provide invaluable assistance in the ongoing debate." -Rupert Atkinson, Managing Director, Head of Credit Advisory Group, Morgan Stanley and member of the SIFMA Rating Agency Task Force "The Langohrs have provided useful information in a field where one frequently finds only opinions or misconceptions. They supply a firm base from which to understand changes now underway. A well-read copy of this monograph should be close to the desk of every investor, issuer and financial regulator, legislator or commentator." -John Grout, Policy and Technical Director, The Association of Corporate Treasurers

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, , language: English, abstract: The objective of this seminar paper is to illuminate the work and role of credit rating agencies in the global financial system and to explain and understand the general criticism directed at them. In addition, their special part in the subprime crisis of 2008 will be analysed and an estimation will be made of how much responsibility they bear in the crisis.