Finance glossary

Financial rating agency

A financial rating agency's activity consists of evaluating the ability of an issuer to repay its debt by issuing a rating (an opinion). Financial rating agencies provide free ratings for states. And for a fee, at their request, they also rate companies or local authorities wishing to be rated.

Financial rating agencies can also assess the solvency of an operation (bond issuance, structured financing operation, securitization, etc.).

The three most well-known rating agencies are Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and Fitch Ratings.