Credit Rating - Sovereign Credit Ratings

Sovereign Credit Ratings

Further information: List of countries by credit rating

A sovereign credit rating is the credit rating of a sovereign entity, i.e., a national government. The sovereign credit rating indicates the risk level of the investing environment of a country and is used by investors looking to invest abroad. It takes political risk into account

Country risk rankings (June 2012) Least risky countries, Score out of 100 Source: Euromoney country risk
Rank Previous Country Overall score
1 1 Norway 90.37
2 2 Switzerland 88.83
3 3 Singapore 88.03
4 5 Luxembourg 87.90
5 4 Sweden 86.79
6 5 Finland 84.30
7 7 Canada 84.26
8 8 Denmark 83.52
9 9 Netherlands 83.07
10 7 Germany 82.24

The table shows the ten least-risky countries for investment as of June 2012. Ratings are further broken down into components including political risk, economic risk. Euromoney's bi-annual country risk index monitors the political and economic stability of 185 sovereign countries. Results focus foremost on economics, specifically sovereign default risk and/or payment default risk for exporters (a.k.a. "trade credit" risk).

A. M. Best defines "country risk" as the risk that country-specific factors could adversely affect an insurer's ability to meet its financial obligations.

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Famous quotes containing the words sovereign and/or credit:

    The sovereign being is burdened with a servitude that crushes him and the condition of free men is deliberate servility.
    Georges Bataille (1897–1962)

    My credit now stands on such slippery ground
    That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
    Either a coward or a flatterer.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)