What drives differences of opinion in sovereign ratings? The roles of information disclosure and political risk

Huong Vu, Rasha Alsakka* (Corresponding Author), Owain ap Gwilym

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper investigates the causes of split sovereign ratings across S&P, Moody's, and Fitch for 64 countries from 1997 to 2011. We identify that split sovereign ratings are not symmetric, with S&P tending to be the most conservative agency. We find that opaque sovereigns are more likely to receive split ratings. Political risk plays a highly significant role in explaining split ratings and dominates economic and financial indicators. Out-of-sample model performance is enhanced by capturing political risk. Government information disclosure affects split ratings between Moody's and Fitch in emerging countries. The study implies an incentive for governments to reduce political uncertainty and to enhance transparency.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)216-233
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of Finance and Economics
Volume22
Issue number3
Early online date27 Apr 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2017

Keywords

  • information disclosure
  • opacity
  • out-of-sample performance
  • political risk
  • sovereign split ratings

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'What drives differences of opinion in sovereign ratings? The roles of information disclosure and political risk'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this