Downgrade
Fundamental analysisA reduction in a credit rating, reflecting weakened ability to service debt.
In plain terms
Raises borrowing costs at exactly the moment the company can least afford them.
Every term is defined twice: once the way a filing would put it, and once the way somebody would explain it to you across a table. The second one is usually the one that sticks.
Showing 2 terms
A reduction in a credit rating, reflecting weakened ability to service debt.
Raises borrowing costs at exactly the moment the company can least afford them.
An agency’s view on the likely direction of a rating over the medium term.
Often more informative than the letters. A negative outlook typically precedes a downgrade by months.