ratings

Moody's Cuts Outlook for Several Big U.S. Banks

Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo received some not so good news late Tuesday as Moody's Investors Service lowered their outlook to negative because of a new law that will likely lower the possibility of government bailouts.

Legal Briefing: Will Big Banks Pay Over Misleading Ratings?

MBIA has sued Merrill Lynch because the CDOs on which Merrill bought insurance from MBIA were AAA-rated junk. MBIA says Merrill knew the CDOs didn't deserve the top rating at the time it insured them. If this case succeeds, big banks may find dud ratings very expensive.

Europe Needs to Think Big About Its Bailout

Ratings downgrades for Spain, Portugal and Greece have alarmed already-rattled credit markets, sending borrowing costs sky-high. As contagion spreads, Europe's politicians need to stop dithering over the bailout and take dramatic steps to reassure markets.

How the Ratings Agencies Lost the Will to Say 'No'

During Friday's hearings in Washington, ex-employees of Standard & Poors and Moody's told a dark, detailed tale of how the ratings agencies produced inflated ratings. The biggest factor: "The threat of losing business to competitor rating agencies."

Portugal Rate Cut Weighs On Global Markets

Big trouble for Portugal Wednesday as credit-ratings agency Fitch slashed the country's sovereign debt rating and warned of further downgrades if it doesn't contain mounting budget deficits. Portugal, like Greece, is one of Europe's so-called PIIGS, which are struggling with deep fiscal woes.

Live From the Operating Room, It's NBC's Today!

NBC's Today is featuring real-life surgeries this week in its "Inside the O.R." series. Though questionable in taste and purpose, the timing couldn't have been better for the February sweeps period that starts tomorrow and runs to March 3.