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The United States lost its top-notch triple-A credit rating from Standard &
Poor's Friday, in a dramatic reversal of fortune for the world's largest
economy.
Michele Constantini | PhotoAlto | Getty Images
S&P cut the long-term U.S. credit rating by one notch to AA-plus on concerns
about growing budget deficits.
U.S. Treasurys, once undisputedly seen as the safest investment in the world
, are now rated lower than bonds issued by countries such as the UK, Germany
, France or Canada.
The outlook on the new U.S. credit rating is negative, S&P said in a
statement, a sign that another downgrade is possible in the next 12 to 18
months.
This came after a confusing day of reports: Standard & Poor's told the U.S.
government Friday afternoon that it was preparing to downgrade the U.S.'s
triple-A credit rating but U.S. officials notified the S&P that they had
made a mathematical error that was off by "trillions," an administration
source told CNBC.
Allegedly the error was in the calculation of the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio
over time and was based on a misreading of what the correct congressional
baseline was.
Throughout Friday, markets were rife with speculation that S&P, which has
had a negative outlook on the U.S. since April 18, would downgrade the
country’s credit from its current triple-A level and that it could come as
early as Friday night.
On July 14, S&P put the government on a credit watch with negative
implications, meaning there was at least a one in two chance the U.S.’s
long-term debt would be downgraded within 90 days.
An S&P spokesman declined to comment on any possible plans for a downgrade
or statement later Friday.
On Tuesday, both Fitch and Moody's backed their triple-A rating on the U.S.
—but with caveats.
Fitch warned that the U.S. rating "will remain under pressure for some time,
" while Moody's [MCO 32.88 -0.68 (-2.03%) ] went so far as to slap
the U.S. with a negative outlook.
— John Harwood and Kate Kelly contributed to this report. |
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