Moody’s leaves Hungary in 'junk'

By bne IntelliNews July 11, 2016

Moody’s Investors Services confirmed Hungary’s sovereign rating at “Ba1” - one notch below investment grade - during a scheduled review on July 8. 

Moody’s had sent some positive signs recently that it could join Fitch to offer the country a second investment grade. Last month, the agency raised its outlook on the country’s banking sector to positive. However, many noted Moody's was unlikely to hand Hungary an escape from around five years in junk in the immediate wake of Brexit. It is thought likely, however, that an upgrade will follow in November.

Fitch upgraded Hungary to investment grade on May 22. However, the sovereign needs two IG ratings to attract many of the largest institutional investors. Standard & Poor's suggested earlier this month it is unlikely to offer an upgrade during its next scheduled review in September.

Moody’s changed its outlook on Hungary’s rating to positive in November, but left Budapest on tenterhooks in March. Similarly, the rating agency did not issue any statement about the reasons for leaving Hungary’s credit ratings unchanged on July 8.

Hungary’s Ministry of Economy, as well as many analysts, assume that Brexit and resulting uncertainty on the markets have 'postponed' an upgrade. The market expects Moody’s will offer an upgrade at its next scheduled review of the rating on November 4, should Hungary’s GDP growth stabilize in the coming months after disappointing Q1 results.

The Hungarian government has insisted for some time that the country's macroeconomic fundamentals deserve an investment grade, noting that the economy's external vulnerability has been slashed.

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

ECB holds a meeting in Riga without Latvian central bank governor

The European Central Bank governing council met in the Latvian capital Riga on June 14 with the host, the beleaguered governor of Latvijas Banka Ilmars Rimsevics, not attending. Rimsevics ... more

One to two-notch downgrade implied for Turkey by spread on eurobond says RBI

A one to two-notch downgrade is implied for Turkey by the spread on its sovereign USD eurobond due 2028, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) said on June 12. In a note to investors, RBI analyst ... more

Croatia raises €750mn in 10-year Eurobond

Croatia issued €750mn through a Eurobond maturing in 2028 at a yield of 2.898% and bearing a coupon rate of 2.700%, the government announced on June 7. Improving macroeconomic ... more

Most Read

  1. STOLYPIN: Putin builds a Presidential Administration fit for stagnation
    4 days ago
  2. Denmark remains last to approve Russia's Nord Stream 2, Sweden finds "no reason" to ban the pipeline
    5 days ago
  3. Iran’s rial languishes with no sign of credible nuclear deal rescue from Europe
    6 days ago
  4. Erdogan raises a white flag in the lira crisis
    20 days ago
  5. COMMENT: Russia and Ukraine: More similar than either wants to admit
    4 months ago
  1. KRUK REPORT: The unbearable lightness of being alive
    18 days ago
  2. Sberbank oil analyst Alex Fak fired for being openly critical of state-owned gas giant Gazprom
    26 days ago
  3. Gazprom insider pipeline deals for Putin cronies worth $93bn, analysts claim
    27 days ago
  4. COMMENT: Russia’s oil giant Rosneft just crossed one of China’s red lines in Vietnam
    13 days ago
  5. STOLYPIN: Putin builds a Presidential Administration fit for stagnation
    4 days ago

Selected articles from our premium news/views wire IntelliNews Pro

Login to IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Reports

Dismiss