Moody's Investors Service

Japanese authorities reported a trade deficit for last month that was the biggest January trade deficit on record. A strong yen, after effects from last year's natural disasters and weakening demand in China and Europe were the major contributing factors to Japan's growing trade deficit. The...

More evidence emerged today that the American economy is picking up steam. The latest figures from the Conference Board revealed that the index of leading economic indicators (LEI ) rose 0.4 percent during the month of January, which was the fourth month in a row that the closely observed economic...

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level seen since 2008. The Labor Department reported on Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits fell 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted figure of 348,000. Today's announcement of a drop in unemployment...

Despite getting bad publicity from Moody's Investors Service recently, France and Spain both conducted bond auctions on Thursday that the two countries deemed successful. Earlier this week Spain was downgraded and France was put on downgrade watch by Moody's but the two Eurozone countries managed...

Moody's Investors Service warned more than a dozen of America's and Europe's biggest banks with significant global capital markets operations that it was placing them under review for possible downgrades. The major American banks that Moody's placed under review for possible downgrades were Bank of...

Moody's Investors Service announced that it was placing more than 100 European financial institutions in 16 countries on review for possible downgrades. Reasons for the possible downgrades that were cited by Moody's included the Eurozone financial crisis, earlier downgrades of multiple Eurozone...

For once there was good news coming out of Europe when France and Germany reported better than expected fourth quarter economic results. Although Germany's economy shrank by 0.2 percent, it was less than the 0.3 percent contraction that was widely expected. Germany also had its third quarter...

Stock prices across Europe fell during early Tuesday trading after Moody's Investors Service downgraded the credit ratings of several European Union countries. Moody's downgraded the credit ratings of Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain and gave each of them a negative outlook as well. The...

France and Belgium have both lifted restrictions on the short selling of financial stocks that were put in place last year after several major European financial institutions saw their stock prices fall dramatically. Stock prices for French banking giants BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe...

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA on Tuesday. Moody's downgraded Wind Telecomunicazioni from Ba3 to B1. The outlook on the rating is stable.

Moody's Investors Service lowered Societe Generale's (OTC: SCGLY) long-term ratings to “A1.” SCGLY shares dipped 10.19% to close at $4.85 yesterday.

Moody's Investors Service sounded the alarm early on Monday morning that the credit ratings of all members of the European Union were now at risk because of the financial crisis that has been escalating in Europe for more than a year. The ratings agency said that the financial crisis that has...

Moody's Investors Service cut corporate family rating of Ontex from “B1” to “B2.” The outlook on the rating is stable.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Hungary's government bond rating. Moody's lowered Hungary's government bond rating by one notch to “Ba1.”

France was warned for the second time this week by a major credit rating agency that its valuable triple-A credit rating could be downgraded in the near future. Standard & Poor's was the latest credit rating agency to say that the eurozone's second biggest economy was in danger of being...