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IntermediateStock Alerts + Tools0:46Fixed Income

An Opinion, Paid For by the Issuer

Ratings are useful, standardised and structurally conflicted, and the line between investment grade and high yield moves real money.

0:46 · 6 scenes

This lesson is part of a Stock Alerts + Tools plan.

What the lesson covers

  1. 0:00A credit rating is an opinion, and the company being rated pays for it.
  2. 0:05The scale. One line separates investment grade from high yield, and it matters enormously.
  3. 0:15Why that line matters. Many funds are only permitted to hold investment grade, so a downgrade forces selling.
  4. 0:24The conflict. The issuer selects and pays the agency, which is the structure that failed in 2008.
  5. 0:33The faster signal. The market's own credit spread moves long before an agency changes a letter.
  6. 0:41Use the rating for classification, and the spread for timing.
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Educational content only. MadStockAlerts provides market commentary, research, and educational content. It is not personalized investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading and investing involve substantial risk, including loss of capital. See the Risk Disclosure and Customer Agreement.
Educational content only. MadStockAlerts provides market commentary, research, and educational content. It is not personalized investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading and investing involve substantial risk, including loss of capital. See the Risk Disclosure and Customer Agreement.
An Opinion, Paid For by the Issuer — MAD Academy Training Video · MadStockAlerts