Moody's raised its rating outlook for the European Union to stable from negative Friday, citing the improvement of its members' finances and falling risks from the eurozone debt crisis.
Moody's affirmed the EU's top-flight Aaa rating and said the main reason for the outlook change is "the improvement in the credit standing of the largest shareholders that the EU relies on" in crises.
It pointed to the improved ratings of Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, countries whose ratings outlooks have recently turned stable or positive.
It also said the EU faced less risk on its own loans after improvements in the ratings of Ireland and Portugal, which both underwent joint IMF-EU rescues.
"Recent rating actions on peripheral countries... indicate a diminished risk that they will fail to honor their obligations to the EU," Moody's said.
Moody’s raised its rating outlook for the European Union to stable from negative Friday, citing the improvement of its members’ finances and falling risks from the eurozone debt crisis.
Moody’s affirmed the EU’s top-flight Aaa rating and said the main reason for the outlook change is “the improvement in the credit standing of the largest shareholders that the EU relies on” in crises.
It pointed to the improved ratings of Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, countries whose ratings outlooks have recently turned stable or positive.
It also said the EU faced less risk on its own loans after improvements in the ratings of Ireland and Portugal, which both underwent joint IMF-EU rescues.
“Recent rating actions on peripheral countries… indicate a diminished risk that they will fail to honor their obligations to the EU,” Moody’s said.
