Moody’s понизило сегодня суверенный рейтинг Ирландии сразу на две ступени до Baa3 и оставило негативный прогноз. Таким образом, Ирландия находится в одном шаге от «мусорного» рейтинга.
От Moody’s:
Frankfurt am Main, April 15, 2011 — Moody’s Investors Service has today downgraded Ireland’s foreign- and local-currency government bond ratings by two notches to Baa3 from Baa1. The outlook on the ratings remains negative.
The key drivers for today’s rating action are:
1. the expected decline in the Irish government’s financial strength combined with the country’s weaker economic growth prospects; and
2. the uncertainty created by the solvency test required by the European Stabilization Mechanism (ESM) for the provision of future liquidity support.
Moody’s negative outlook on the ratings of the government of Ireland is based on its view that the Irish government’s financial strength could decline further if economic growth were to be weaker than currently projected, or if fiscal adjustment were to fall short of the government’s planned consolidation path.
Gary Jenkins из Evolution Securities раскрывает некоторые другие аспекты понижения рейтинга:
As we go to print Moody’s have just cut Ireland’s sovereign rating by two notches to Baa3, with the outlook remaining negative, possibly the most uncomfortable of places to be on the ratings scale – one false step from junk. Interest that one of the key drivers is the uncertainty created by the solvency test required by the European Stabilisation Mechanism for the provision of future liquidity support. Yesterday evening Fitch affirmed their ratings at BBB+, removing their negative watch and assigning a negative outlook, while S&P currently rate Ireland BBB+ with a outlook stable. After yesterday’s troubled sovereign action it will be interesting to see what impact Moody’s cut will have on the market today....
А вот то, что беспокоит Moody’s:
The second driver is the uncertainty related to the ESM’s solvency test required for the provision of future liquidity support. Furthermore, the recently announced Euro Plus Pact confirmed Moody’s view that the amended European institutional support framework will be limited to liquidity support and that the EU will not provide fiscal transfers. That said, Moody’s acknowledges the ongoing commitment of EU policymakers and the ECB to provide an effective liquidity backstop for euro area countries that experience funding difficulties, a commitment that supports those countries’ government bond ratings.
И вот почему:
From the ESM term sheet:
Access to ESM financial assistance will be provided on the basis of strict policy conditionality under a macro-economic adjustment programme and a rigorous analysis of public-debt sustainability, which will be conducted by the Commission together with the IMF and in liaison with the ECB. The beneficiary Member State will be required to put in place an appropriate form of private-sector involvement, according to the specific circumstances and in a manner fully consistent with IMF practices.
