What is a ratings agency

Assignment Help Finance Basics
Reference no: EM131408089

Most homeowners purchase their houses by borrowing the funds in what is called a mortgage loan. Banks and other financial institutions that make the mortgage loans often package the loans for resale to investors, pooling many mortgage loans together into a "mortgagebacked bond." Investors purchase the bonds and earn interest to compensate for the risk of default by the homeowner on the mortgage loan. In the years leading up to 2007 a very active segment of the mortgage loan market was made up of "subprime" mortgages, loans made to individuals with less-than-stellar credit histories. The subprime mortgages were also pooled together and sold as bonds to investors.

The subprime bonds were graded by Moody's and Standard & Poor's, along with other ratings agencies. However, many of the subprime mortgage-backed bonds were highly rated by the agencies even as the housing market began to struggle and defaults by homeowners increased. Often, investors purchased the bonds in part based on the ratings provided by the agencies. Those investors began to lose money in 2007 as the underlying home mortgages defaulted when homeowners could not afford the payments.

REQUIRED:

a. What is a ratings agency, and how does it grade debt securities?

b. How does a rating affect the interest rate on a bond issue, and how does that interest rate affect the price of a bond issue?

c. What risks would a ratings agency look for when reviewing a bond issue composed of loans to borrowers with "subprime" credit?

Reference no: EM131408089

Questions Cloud

Facebook faces financial risks : In 2012 CFO.com has published an article "Facebook Faces Financial Risks." (local backup) According to the article, what were these risks in 2012?
Identify them by name : We recognize objects in a split second and can identify them by name. But what if we tricked our minds into giving that object we have known our whole lives a new name?
Discuss two purposes of carrying : Define and discuss two purposes of carrying these inventories: finished goods. Illustrate with an example how companies can use this to their advantage.
Design a strategy geared toward creating an affiliated group : Imagine that a client is pursuing the acquisition of Corporation A that has a substantial net operating loss. Corporation B is a member of the controlled group and is currently included in the consolidated tax return that also has a net operating ..
What is a ratings agency : What risks would a ratings agency look for when reviewing a bond issue composed of loans to borrowers with "subprime" credit?
What is the purpose of the randomized block design : What is the purpose of the randomized block design?- What assumptions are required in using the randomized block design?
What are the null and alternative hypotheses for given test : What are the null and alternative hypotheses for this test?- For each sample, construct the 95% confidence interval for the population mean.
Describe the elements of credit card theft : 1. Describe how technology has been used to sexually exploit children. 2. Describe the elements of Credit Card Theft and Identity Theft. Describe how technology is used to facilitate these crimes.
Natural byproduct of an interconnected world : Discussion: E-commerce is a natural byproduct of an Interconnected world.  Question #1: Select and respond to one of the following questions(ONLY ONE QUESTION IS ENOUGH)

Reviews

Write a Review

Finance Basics Questions & Answers

  What does this mean about investors expectations

What does this mean about investors' expectations about inflation or MRP? .c. How can the investor be relatively certain to achieve a 6.5% return?

  What rate should the firm use to discount the project cash

What rate should the firm use to discount the project's cash flows?

  Briefly discuss the form and informational content of each

The income statement for the year ended December 31, 2012, the balance sheets for December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the statement of retained earnings for the year ended December 31, 2012, for Technica, Inc., are given below and on the following page. ..

  Saft corporation wants to obtain 4 million in its first

saft corporation wants to obtain 4 million in its first public issue of common stock. after the issuance the total

  Why do you think the bondholders wanted to block

Why do you think the bondholders wanted to block this transaction? What arguments can you make for and against the bondholders' case?

  Describe the budget of the agency

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

  Determine one share of stock worth today

Dry Goods is expected to pay yearly dividends of 1.15 , 1.20 and 1.35 a share over the next 3 years, respectively. After that the dividend is expected to increase by 2.5 percent yearly.

  What is the holding period return for the year

The value of the portfolio on December 31 of the same year was $113,201. At the end of June, Stacy withdrew $5,000 from the portfolio. What is the holding period return for the year?

  Prepare a powerpoint presentation based upon a brics and

prepare a powerpoint presentation based upon a brics and mitsk country south africa. it is important to develop an

  How much would bonjur have to pay in dollars for the

exchange gain or loss. bonjur inc. imports french cheeses for distribution in the us.on april 1 the company purchased

  What is the firm price-to-cash flow ratio

Crab Feast Corp.'s cash flow last year was $106.60 million. The company has 7.84 million shares outstanding. Crab Feast Corp.'s stock price at the end of last year was $63.09.  What is the firm's price-to-cash flow ratio?

  Advantages and disadvantages of the globalization of finance

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the globalization of finance. How did it contribute to the global financial crisis?

Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd