“Panasonic Corp. (6752), the Japanese electronics maker facing a second straight annual loss, had its long-term credit rating cut to one level above junk by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited challenging market conditions.

The company’s long-term rating was lowered two levels to Baa3, the lowest among Moody’s 10 investment-level rankings. Panasonic’s Prime-3 short-term rating remains under review for possible reduction, according to a statement from Moody’s, which assigned a negative outlook for the long-term ranking.”

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“France’s government bonds fell, with 10-year yields rising the most in a month, after Moody’s Investors Service lowered the nation’s top credit rating, citing a worsening economic growth outlook.

Greek and Portuguese debt advanced as European finance ministers prepare to meet in Brussels today to discuss aid for Greece. The yield premium, or spread, investors demand to hold French 10-year debt over similar-maturity German bunds, widened for the first time in four days after Moody’s yesterday cut the country’s rating to Aa1 from Aaa and maintained its negative outlook. Spain’s notes rose as it sold 4.94 billion euros ($6.33 billion) of bills.”

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A, MO, BAC, BCS, CPHD, DF, DNR, HAL, JCI, LH, LYG, RMBS, SWIR, VMI, WSM,

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AEO, NLY, CMO, CHKP, CIT, DRYS, FSP, FTR, GPS, HTS, IVR, JBLU, MFA, NTAP, PANW, RSG, SDRL, TGI,

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“In 2011, the United States emerged from a damaging budget battle with a downgrade of its pristine triple-A rating for the first time in history. In 2013, it could be dealt even a bigger blow.

The battle over avoiding the so-called “fiscal cliff” is the first of a likely series of partisan confrontations in Washington in the coming year that, if not resolved, could cause more downgrades of the U.S. credit rating.

“The rating is in the hands of policymakers,” said John Chambers, chairman of Standard & Poor’s sovereign rating committee, the agency that downgraded the United States in August 2011.”

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“The U.K.’s top Aaa rating will be assessed at the beginning of next year as the nation’s economy slows amid government efforts to reduce deficits and Europe’s debt crisis, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

The economic recovery in the U.K. is likely to be slower than forecast as the private and public sectors reduce their debt loads, Moody’s said late yesterday in a report. The government’s Autumn Statement, scheduled to be released in December, may reveal “the likely speed of fiscal consolidation, the growth outlook and, most importantly, the assurances offered that the debt trajectory will stabilize and start to decline within the rating horizon,” Moody’s said.”

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ABX, CYOU, CSCO, EPD, HD, JCP, MOS, POT, RCL, SI, SOHU, SPF, TSO, VE, WFT, WABC,

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APD, BERY, CL, CXS, DOW, FFIV, FMS, IMGN, LF, MCP, NS, OMC, PDLI, REGN, SGEN, WU, WY, XOMA,

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ALU, ARMH, BBT, CHKP, CHK, C, CMA, DNDN, DEO, ETP, GRMN, GRPN, HIW, JCP, JNJ, NNI, PBR, RYAAY, SQNM, SIRI, SLG, TRIP, USM, VRTX, VNO, DIS,

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“Sony Corp. (6758), the Japanese electronics- maker reeling from four straight annual losses, had its credit rating cut to the lowest investment grade by Moody’s Investors Service, citing falling demand for its televisions and cameras.

The long-term credit rating was cut one level to Baa3 from Baa2, Moody’s said in a statement today, assigning a negative outlook. Sony, which unexpectedly reported a seventh straight quarterly loss earlier this month, had its short-term rating cut to Prime-3, also the lowest investment grade, from Prime-2.”

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“Standard & Poor’s on Thursday said it sees an increasing chance that the U.S. economy will go over the “fiscal cliff” next year, though policymakers will probably compromise in time to avoid that outcome.

Analysts at the credit ratings agency now see about a 15 percent chance that political brinkmanship will push the U.S. economy — the world’s largest — over the fiscal cliff.”

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“We are making slight changes to the fiscal policy assumptions embedded in our forecast. President Obama has indicated he would veto legislation that extends the 2001/2003 tax cuts for income over $250k, while congressional Republicans have objected to decoupling them from the middle-income tax cuts. In light of the President’s reelection, we have opted to assume that the upper-income tax cuts will expire. These are worth $56bn in 2013, and their expiration is likely to increase the drag on growth from fiscal policy by around 0.2 percentage points in 2013, on a Q4/Q4 basis. While there is a clear possibility of a compromise at a higher income threshold like $1 million, this is roughly balanced by the possibility of fiscal restraint from other unexpected sources, or the possibility that Congress fails to address the fiscal cliff until early 2013.”

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CNQR, DUSA, GHDX, GNC, LOCK, MNST, PTN, QCOM, SGEN, TNK, WFM,

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In other words face another downgrade. Moody’s will keep quiet for now.

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Nate nailed it….and upgrade is in order for his predictive prowess.

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NLY, AIV, AVT, BEAM, CMG, CS, FANG, ESRX, HUM, KRG, ERIC, RJET, MKTG, ROST, SMRT, TJX, UBS, USM,

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“Even a compromise by Congress to avert a ‘fiscal cliff’ won’t change the troubled credit outlook of the U.S. economy, which continues to face a huge debt burden, says Sean Egan, managing director of Egan-Jones, the ratings firm that has cut America’s sovereign debt rating twice this year.

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“The key measure on sovereign credit quality is debt-to-GDP, in the case of the U.S., it’s risen rather dramatically, from four years ago at 75 percent debt-to-GDP, to currently over 104 percent,” Egan told CNBC on Tuesday.

“The problem in the U.S. is that the debt has grown whereas the GDP has not grown. (While) the U.S. has had the benefit of being the major reserve currency, that only takes it so far,” he added.

Egan-Jones first cut U.S. credit rating to AA from AA+ in April, citing concerns over a lack of progress in cutting federal debt; and again in September, to AA-, triggered by concerns the quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve would hurt the country’s credit quality.”

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ENB, EPB, SXL, WPZ, NKA,

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ADT, DD, EXC, FIG, HUN, JNPR, MNKD, QCOM, SSTK, TGT, UNH, DIS, WDAY, ZUMZ,

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ACTV, BX, EAT, CHTR, CNO, DF, EGO, ELX, EPD, EXC, FSLR, GM, GES, MNKD, NBR, UBS, VRTX,

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