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What does credit outlook mean?
Rating agencies also provide outlook for the countries. Outlook provided by the rating agencies assesses the potential direction in which a rating will move over the next six months to two years.
- Positive - may be raised
- Negative - may be lowered
- Stable - unlikely to change
- Developing - may be raised or lowered
- NM - not meaningful
Lowering an outlook is generally considered to be the first step towards a downgrade.
For instance, Credit rating agency Moody's still has maintained AAA credit rating for U.S. for the time being but lowered its outlook on U.S. debt to "negative."
A "negative outlook" indicates the possibility that Moody's would downgrade the country's sovereign credit rating within a year or two.
Story first published: Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 12:46 [IST]