The Local France

Moody's affirms France top rating

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:03:00 +0200

International ratings agency Moody's affirmed its top AAA rating for France on Thursday but said it would watch closely the policies of new President Francois Hollande who favours growth above austerity.

Moody's threatens France with downgrade

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:04:00 +0100

The largest ratings agency, Moody's, threatened to follow its rival Standard & Poor's by downgrading France from its triple-A rating, along with the UK and Austria.

France shrugs off downgrade with successful bond sale

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:32:00 +0100

France and Spain successfully raised funds at lower rates on the markets despite a raft of eurozone credit downgrades, while Greece got the prospect of more rescue loans from the IMF.

France facing key bond test after downgrade

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:04:00 +0100

France is to issue long-term bonds on Thursday in the first test of its market credibility in the wake of Standard & Poor's decision to strip the country of its cherished triple-A rating.

France braces for downgrade fall-out as Sarkozy vows reform

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:14:00 +0100

France braced on Sunday for the fallout from its credit rating downgrade as President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed for calm and vowed to carry out more reforms to lead the country out of crisis.

Fitch reassures France on AAA rating

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:46:00 +0100

Ratings agency Fitch provided some relief to the French government on Tuesday when it said the country looked unlikely to be downgraded from its prized triple-A rating in 2012.

Ratings agency: France 'treated like BBB' country

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:54:00 +0100

The chief economist at ratings agency Standard & Poor's has told Le Parisien newspaper that investors are already treating France as if it had a BBB rating.

Sarkozy plays down effect of AAA loss

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:25:00 +0100

President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared on Monday to accept that France is facing a downgrade of its triple-A credit rating, when he declared that he would overcome this challenge to his policy.

IMF chief cautious on French-German debt pact

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:20:00 +0100

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Monday welcomed France and Germany's push for tough fiscal standards in the eurozone, but said more steps were needed to tackle the
region's crisis.

France, Germany demand pact as S&P talks tough

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:13:00 +0100

France and Germany called on Monday for Europe's leaders to agree strict rules for fiscal discipline at their summit this week, as Standard and Poor's threatened the region with sweeping ratings downgrades.

France's top credit rating at risk: Moody's

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:09:00 +0100

An increase in French government borrowing costs, slowing growth and the eurozone debt crisis threatens the country's top credit rating, Moody's ratings agency warned on Monday, adding to market jitters.

France-Germany rate gap at eurozone record

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:05:00 +0100

The gaps between the German borrowing rate and French and Spanish rates widened sharply to record amounts on Tuesday, in a new sign of acute tension at the heart of the eurozone.

France 'not worth its AAA rating': report

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:26:51 +0100

France shouldn't enjoy AAA status given its low growth prospects and dire public accounts, says a report published by think tank The Lisbon Council and German bank Berenberg Bank.

S&P says France will maintain top rating

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:42:00 +0200

Standard & Poor's is confident France will maintain its top AAA credit rating, the agency's European chief said Thursday, amid rumours of a possible downgrade amid intensifying eurozone debt strains.

AAA: could France be next to lose top rating?

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:46:14 +0200

After the US lost its AAA-rating last week, there is mounting speculation over whether France is vulnerable to the same fate.