Rating the Rating Agencies

Abstract

In this study, we begin by assessing the ability of sovereign credit ratings to anticipate crises. In addition, given the wave of sovereign credit ratings downgrades that have followed the crises in Asia, we investigate formally the extent to which credit ratings are reactive. Along the way, we discuss a small but growing literature that examines to what extent financial markets anticipate crises.credit ratings, default, crisis, downgrades, prediction, banks, currency