downgrade

Shares of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) tumbled Monday after a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst downgraded the two to the firm's lowest rating, saying their common and preferred shares would be "worthless" given the nearly $100 billion they will continue to...

With traders looking to rising metal and crude oil prices as a sign of a strengthening economy, it's little surprise that returns on benchmark indexes for stocks and commodities have become highly correlated. Today, oil pushed above $71 a barrel, giving stock investors a reason to buy. The Dow...

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's took General Electric (GE) down a notch this morning, cutting its vaunted "AAA" debt rating amid concerns about losses at its financial unit. The downgrade one step to "AA+" will make it more expensive for GE to borrow money. CEO Jeffrey Immelt said...