Scope Ratings says in its Sovereign Outlook 2026 that geopolitical developments will remain fundamental for sovereign credit profiles, particularly in Europe. This includes uncertainties under volatile US trade and foreign policies but also China’s dominance across the raw materials crucial for global supply chains as well as the impact of China’s growing competitiveness in high-value-added goods exports. For European sovereigns, significant uncertainty persists regarding the outcome of any potential cea ...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #creditratingagency--KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to three classes of notes issued by Monroe Capital ABS Funding III, LP ("MCAF III†), a securitization backed by a portfolio of recurring revenue and middle market corporate loans. MCAF III is a $485.0 million securitization managed by Monroe BDC Advisors, LLC ("Monroe†or the "Collateral Manager†), an affiliate of Monroe Capital LLC. The securitization consists of $310.4 million of Class A notes, $53.35 million of Class B n ...

Global Credit Outlook 2026 Music Playing, Noise Rising Dec. 3, 2025 This report does not constitute a rating action. Foreword Dear reader, As we step into 2026, the chorus of voices warning of an impending credit downturn is getting louder. And yet, we see a number of factors that pointto a more balanced--dare we say,resilient--picture ahead. This includes resilient economies, extended maturities for issuers, and improved interestrates. This dissonance is understandable given how accelerating structural tre ...

The growing financial gap between RXO and C.H. Robinson, the two largest publicly-traded brokerages who also carry publicly-traded debt, grew more stark this week with an action taken by S&P Global Ratings. A few months after S&P Global raised the debt rating of C.H. Robinson to BBB+, the ratings agency this week put competitor RXO on a negative outlook. The move does not alter RXO’s BB credit rating at S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). But a negative outlook means that the ratings agency sees conditions with the ...

Core Points - KBRA has assigned preliminary ratings to three classes of notes from Planet Fitness Master Issuer LLC, Series 2025-1, indicating a whole business securitization [1] - The Series 2025-1 Notes issuance will lead to the repayment of Series 2022-1, Class A-2-I Notes, with KBRA planning to withdraw those ratings [1] - The ratings are based on cash flow analysis and are expected to affirm existing ratings on other series of notes [1] Company Overview - Planet Fitness Holdings, Inc. operates the Planet Fitness system, known for its affordable fitness memberships starting at $15 per month, with a premium Black Card option at $24.99 per month [2] - As of September 30, 2025, Planet Fitness has a total of 2,795 clubs, including 2,514 franchised locations and 281 company-owned locations across the U.S. and internationally [2] - The pledged collateral for the securitization consists of 2,631 locations in the U.S. and territories, with approximately 90% being franchised by unit count [2] - For the twelve months ending September 30, 2025, the company generated approximately $5.2 billion in systemwide sales [2]

Dec 2, 2025 1:18 PM Eastern Standard Time KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Pagaya AI Debt Grantor Trust 2025-8 & Pagaya AI Debt Trust 2025-8 Share NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to 15 classes of notes issued by Pagaya AI Debt Grantor Trust 2025-8 & Pagaya AI Debt Trust 2025-8 (collectively "PAID 2025-8†), an unsecured consumer loan ABS transaction. PAID 2025-8 has initial hard credit enhancement levels of 83.40% for the Class A-1 Notes to 1.83% for the Class F Notes. Credit ...

Moody’s Corporation (MCO) is a premier provider of financial intelligence worldwide, structured around Moody’s Investors Service and Moody’s Analytics. The company has a market capitalization of $87.56 billion, which classifies the company as a “large-cap” stock. Moody’s Investors Service provides impartial credit evaluations, in-depth research, and tools to assess the creditworthiness of debt securities, governments, corporations, and institutions, helping investors evaluate credit reliability. More New ...

Core Viewpoint - S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Tether (USDT) to "5 (weak)", the lowest rating on its stablecoin risk scale, citing concerns over disclosure and high-risk assets in Tether's reserves [1][2]. Group 1: Rating Downgrade - S&P Global Ratings issued a downgrade of Tether to "5 (weak)", marking the lowest grade on its five-point stablecoin risk scale introduced in 2023 [1]. - The agency highlighted "persistent gaps in disclosure" and an increasing proportion of "high-risk assets" in Tether's reserves, which include bitcoin, gold, corporate bonds, and secured loans [2]. - S&P noted that these high-risk assets carry various risks, including credit, market, interest-rate, and foreign-exchange risks, and mentioned limited insight into the creditworthiness of Tether's custodians and counterparties [2]. Group 2: Tether's Response - Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, criticized S&P's assessment, suggesting that the agency's methodologies are outdated and were responsible for misrating traditional financial institutions that later failed [4][5]. - Ardoino argued that Tether's reserve structure is fundamentally different from those of traditional banks and insurers, asserting that Tether's model is "overcapitalized" compared to institutions rated by legacy agencies [5]. - In response to the downgrade, Tether expressed strong disagreement with S&P's characterization, emphasizing its history of maintaining stability and redeemability of USDT during various financial crises [7].

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the potential of dividend stocks as a source of passive income for investors, highlighting their ability to provide regular income and contribute significantly to overall stock market returns [1][2]. Dividend Stocks Performance - Research indicates that dividends have accounted for 85% of the cumulative return of the S&P 500 since 1960, primarily through reinvested dividends [3]. - Dividend-paying companies have outperformed non-dividend payers over a 50-year period, with average returns of 9.2% compared to 4.3% [4]. - Companies that consistently grow their dividends have achieved annualized returns of 10.2% with lower volatility [4]. Company Profiles - **BlackRock (BLK)**: The world's largest asset manager with a market cap of $166 billion and a dividend yield of 2.04%. BlackRock has raised its dividend for 16 consecutive years, benefiting from long-term trends like growing asset prices and rising 401(k) contributions [6][9]. - **Chubb (CB)**: A leading global insurer with a market cap of $117 billion and a dividend yield of 1.26%. Chubb has increased its dividend payout for 32 consecutive years, showcasing its strong business model and capital management [10][13]. - **S&P Global (SPGI)**: A major player in credit ratings with a market cap of $149 billion and a dividend yield of 0.77%. S&P Global has raised its dividend for over 53 years and is well-positioned to benefit from rising global debt issuance [14][17]. - **Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC)**: The largest business development corporation in the U.S. with a market cap of $14 billion and a high dividend yield of 9.68%. Ares Capital has a stable portfolio and has been lending to middle-market companies for over two decades [18][22].

Core Insights - Moody's Corporation (MCO) has a market cap of $83.9 billion and operates through two segments: Moody's Analytics and Moody's Investors Service, providing credit ratings, data, analytics, and SaaS-based risk-management solutions [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, MCO shares have underperformed the broader market, declining slightly while the S&P 500 Index increased by 12.3% [2] - Year-to-date, MCO shares are also down compared to the S&P 500's 12.5% gain [2] - MCO shares have lagged behind the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund's 2.7% rise over the same period [3] Financial Performance - Moody's reported Q3 2025 adjusted EPS of $3.92 and revenue of $2.01 billion, exceeding expectations [4] - The company raised its full-year outlook for adjusted EPS to between $14.50 and $14.75, projecting high-single-digit revenue growth [4] - The ratings business saw an 11% revenue increase, driven by strong bond issuance and tight credit spreads [4] Analyst Expectations - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, analysts expect Moody's adjusted EPS to grow by 17.4% year-over-year to $14.64 [5] - Moody's has a promising earnings surprise history, beating consensus estimates in the last four quarters [5] - Among 23 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," with 11 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and 11 "Holds" [5] Price Target - Mizuho analyst Sean Kennedy raised Moody's price target to $550 while maintaining a "Neutral" rating [6] - The mean price target of $539 represents a 14.6% premium to MCO's current price levels [6] - The highest price target of $620 suggests a potential upside of 31.9% [6]