United Kingdom: Sovereign credit ratings

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Sovereign credit ratings in the United Kingdom: The table shows the history of sovereign credit ratings. Click on the following link to see the values of Sovereign credit ratings around the world. Sources: Fitch, Moody's, S&P, Scope.

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Agency Rating Outlook Date
Scope AA Stable 10/2024
Fitch AA- Stable 9/2024
Fitch AA- Stable 3/2024
Fitch AA- Negative 12/2023
Scope AA Stable 11/2023
Moody's Aa3 Stable 10/2023
Fitch AA- Negative 6/2023
Fitch AA- Negative 12/2022
Moody's Aa3 Negative 11/2022
Scope AA Stable 11/2022
Fitch AA- Negative 10/2022
Fitch AA- Stable 6/2022
Scope AA Stable 5/2022
Moody's B3 Negative watch 2/2022
Fitch AA- Stable 12/2021
Fitch AA- Stable 6/2021
Scope AA Stable 6/2021
Fitch AA- Negative 1/2021
Moody's Aa3 Stable 10/2020
Moody's Aa3 Stable 10/2020
Fitch AA- Negative 9/2020
Fitch AA- Negative 3/2020
Fitch AA- Negative 3/2020
Scope AA Negative 2/2020
Standard & Poor's AA Stable 12/2019
Fitch AA Negative 12/2019
Moody's Aa2 Negative 11/2019
Fitch AA Negative watch 10/2019
Fitch AA Negative watch 4/2019
Scope AA Negative 8/2018
Fitch AA Negative 4/2018
Fitch AA Negative 10/2017
Moody's Aa2 Stable 9/2017
Scope AA Negative 8/2017
Fitch AA Negative 5/2017
Scope AA Under Review 5/2017
Fitch AA Negative 12/2016
Fitch AA Negative 7/2016
Standard & Poor's AA Negative 6/2016
Moody's Aa1 Negative 6/2016
Fitch AA Negative 6/2016
Fitch AA+ Stable 12/2015
Standard & Poor's AAA Negative 6/2015
Moody's Aa1 Stable 9/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 9/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 8/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 7/2014
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 6/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 6/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 5/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 4/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 3/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 2/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 1/2014
Fitch AA+ Stable 12/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 11/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 10/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 9/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 7/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 6/2013
Fitch AA+ Stable 5/2013
Fitch AAA Negative 3/2013
Moody's Aa1 Stable 2/2013
Standard & Poor's AAA Negative 12/2012
Fitch AAA Negative 8/2012
Fitch AAA Negative 7/2012
Fitch AAA Negative 4/2012
Fitch AAA Negative 3/2012
Moody's Aaa Negative 2/2012
Fitch AAA Stable 2/2012
Fitch AAA Stable 1/2012
Fitch AAA Stable 12/2011
Fitch AAA Stable 11/2011
Fitch AAA Stable 10/2011
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 10/2010
Standard & Poor's AAA Negative 5/2009
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 11/2005
Fitch AAA Stable 9/2000
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 8/1995
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 10/1993
Standard & Poor's AAA Stable 6/1989
Moody's Aaa Stable 3/1978

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Definition: S&P includes long-term ratings from the highest AAA to the lowest D rating. Moody’s includes long-term ratings from the highest Aaa to the lowest C. Fitch includes long-term ratings from the highest AAA to the lowest D rating. Scope includes long-term foreign-currency ratings from the highest AAA to the lowest D rating.

For all four international credit rating agencies, ratings are divided into two main groups based on the level of credit risk: investment grade for lower levels of credit risk and speculative grade for higher levels of credit risk. For S&P, Fitch and Scope, investment grade issues/issuers are those rated from BBB- and above, while those from BB+ and below are categorized as speculative grade. Moody’s denotes as investment grade issues/issuers as those rated from Baa3 and above, while ratings from Ba1 and below fall into the category of speculative grade.

All four agencies include modifiers into their generic alphabet-based ratings for particular ranges. Ratings from S&P, Fitch and Scope are modified with “+” or “-” from the range AA to CCC. Moody’s appends numerical modifiers from 1 to 3 to the generic rating classifications from Aa to Caa. 1 indicates standing in the higher end of the generic category, while 3 indicates ranking in the lower end. All modifiers denote relative status within major ratings categories.

Rating Outlooks indicate the direction the rating is likely to move over a one- to two-year period. In determining an outlook, consideration is given to any changes in fundamental business conditions. Credit Watch focuses on identifiable events that cause ratings to be placed under special surveillance.

Rating Outlooks/Watches for the four agencies are the following:

- Positive means that a rating may be raised
- Negative means that a rating may be lowered
- Stable means a rating is not likely to change
- When the fundamental trend has strong, conflicting elements of both positive and negative, the Outlook/Watch can be denoted as Developing (for Scope, a Stable Outlook would be assigned in this case).

Credit Watches do not include a Stable Watch because they are only event driven and denote higher probability of change in the rating. Credit Outlooks and Watches are mutually exclusive.
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