Credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service downgraded Britain's government bond rating one notch from the top AAA to AA1 Friday, citing weaknesses in the economy's medium-term outlook. Moody's said "subdued" growth prospects and a "high and rising debt burden" were weighing on the British economy.
As for downgrades, is the worst over for America? Standard & Poor's managing director John Chambers said just Sunday that another U.S. downgrade can't necessarily be ruled out. 24/7 Wall St. says the U.S. isn't the only country that should put on the watch list.
The odds that the U.S. will default on its debt increase each day, and even if a short-term deal is reached, the ratings agencies may downgrade U.S. debt anyway. If that happens, turmoil could roil the markets. So where can the smart money flee for safety? 24/7 Wall St. offers 10 safe options.
As the eurozone sovereign debt crisis continues, focus is shifting to Italy as the next potential victim. But for worries closer to home, consider this: $37 billion in U.S. government benefits designed to help people through the downturn will expire by the end of 2011, leaving a hole twice that size in the economy.
Portugal's economic health is at risk of collapse after Moody's cut its rating of the country's debt to junk status. Also at risk of collapse: The case against former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn after The New York Post reported that his accuser was working two jobs -- as a maid and a prostitute.
The Supreme Court kept up its corporatist streak Monday, handing down two key decisions that were certain to please the Chamber of Commerce. The first helped Wal-Mart quash a massive class action sex discrimination suit; the second stopped states from suing power companies over greenhouse gas emissions.
Sirius XM's first quarter results were strong, with total subscribers up 9% from a year ago to a new high of 20.6 million and adjusted EBITDA of $181 million, up 15% year-over-year. But what should most interest investors are the moves it's making to amplify its growth in the years ahead.
Looks like rough sailing ahead: Moody's warned the GOP that its game of chicken with the debt ceiling risked a downgrade of U.S. debt. But there are some things that investors can look forward to.
With debt rising and credit ratings falling around the world, many investors are worried that the U.S. may be on the edge of losing its coveted AAA rating. Three analysts weigh in on the issue.
The drop in home values caused by the mortgage crisis has resulted in one positive outcome: Prices have fallen so far that home affordability is back to pre-housing-boom levels, reports Moody's Analytics. But a quarter of households with a mortgage are underwater on their loan.
After an exhaustive examination, DailyFinance's legal reporter comes to a clear verdict. Banks have done three things to create the massive glut of foreclosures choking America's legal systems and laying waste to its real estate markets.
Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's are both considering downgrading their ratings on U.S. debt because of rising interest-to-revenue ratios, the nation's jobless recovery, and rising Social Security and health care costs, among other factors, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Just as the euro has begun recovering from Ireland's meltdown, another financial crisis is brewing in Spain. The country could be headed for a bailout or reorganization, experts say. How low could the euro go?