Brazil’s push to overhaul its costly social security system is a welcome step toward healing public finances and the economy, but is not enough to stabilize public debt or trigger a positive review on the country’s credit rating, directors at rating agency Fitch said on Thursday.
Emerging markets face more downgrades than upgrades this year as foreign debt levels leave them vulnerable to rising U.S. interest rates and the strength of the dollar, according to Fitch Ratings. Latin America, the Middle East and Africa will be impacted more by lower credit scores because of the high share of their foreign-currency debt, said James McCormack, Hong Kong-based global head of the sovereign and supranational group at Fitch.
The credit rating agency Fitch lowered the prospects for Argentine sovereign debt to negative, arguing the overall weakness of the economy and an uncertain scenario for fiscal consolidation in coming years.
The increased likelihood of a no-deal Brexit scenario has led ratings agency Fitch to envision serious damages to the United Kingdom's economy for future assessments, although it maintained Britain's long-term AA grade... For now.
The outlook for Southern Cone Banks is mixed in 2013, with a stable outlook for Chile and Uruguay, while Argentina faces a negative outlook and the potential for downgrades, according to a new Fitch Ratings report.
Rating agency Fitch downgraded Portugal's rating to junk status, citing large fiscal imbalances, high debts and the risks to its EU-mandated austerity program from a worsening economic outlook.
Brazil’s credit rating was raised one level by Fitch Ratings, which cited the economy’s growth prospects and budget policy under President Dilma Rousseff.