Publications
Publications
- 2008
- HBS Working Paper Series
How Did Increased Competition Affect Credit Ratings?
Abstract
The credit rating industry has historically been dominated by just two agencies, Moody's and S&P, leading to longstanding legislative and regulatory calls for increased competition. The material entry of a third rating agency (Fitch) to the competitive landscape offers a unique experiment to empirically examine how, in fact, increased competition affects the credit ratings market. Increased competition from Fitch coincides with lower-quality ratings from the incumbents: rating levels went up, the correlation between ratings and market-implied yields fell, and the ability of ratings to predict default deteriorated. We offer several possible explanations for these findings that are linked to existing theories.
Keywords
Credit; Financial Markets; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Quality; Reputation; Competition; Financial Services Industry
Citation
Becker, Bo, and Todd Milbourn. "How Did Increased Competition Affect Credit Ratings?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 09-051, October 2008. (Revised July 2009, September 2010.)