Paraguay was given a BB+ rating in Fitch's latest report, which is one step away from investment grade. Although in Asunción the South American country's Economy Ministry highlighted the achievement, the agency also warned about challenges in terms of credibility.
Fitch Ratings, one the world's leading credit rating agency has confirmed Uruguay's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-', however with a Negative Outlook, despite the country faring much better than its neighbors.
A report issued by the United States Department of State on the investment climate in Uruguay on Monday analyzed the legal, political and economic aspects of the country. On the one hand, it stands the legal security, the free movement of capital, the preferential regimes and the investment grade. On the other, it warns about aspects such as labor relations, the power of unions, the advantage of public companies and the increase of problems in education and security.
Uruguay's Economy Minister Danilo Astori Sunday said he was surprised at last week's decision by the Fitch agency to maintain Uruguay's investment grade as it lowered the outlook down to BBB- and pointed out that this report “contrasts openly with those of other risk rating agencies and with the market itself.”
Vice president Danilo Astori anticipated that in 2012 Uruguay will recover investment grade and said that including Uruguay in the OECD “grey list” was a “tremendous injustice” which did not take into account all the advances achieved in combating money laundering and narcotics trade.
Fitch Ratings raised Colombia to investment grade last week, becoming the third Wall Street agency to elevate the country this year to the coveted status, opening the door to a broader range of investors.
Petrobras oil and gas corporation needs to control costs in its investment program, Brazil's Finance minister said on Monday, days after he and other board members told the company to revise an update of its 224 billion US dollars spending plan.
Uruguay is considered a solid candidate to obtain “investment grade” given its strong economic fundamentals and these same factors make the country’s bonds issued in indexed units, UI, an attractive investment, according to a report from the investment bank JP Morgan published in the Montevideo press.
Uruguay whose credit rating was cut to junk in 2002, expects to return to investment grade within two years, central bank President Mario Bergara said. “We are confident that in one or two years we will have investment grade again,” Bergara said at an investors’ conference in New York Monday.