Moody’s downgrades U.S. credit rating over rising debt

REUTERS/KYLIE COOPER/FILE PHOTO
The Manhattan skyline is seen from Queens, New York City, on April 28. Moody’s today downgraded its credit rating of the United States by a notch to “Aa1” from “Aaa”, citing rising debt and interest “that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns.”
Moody’s today downgraded its credit rating of the United States by a notch to “Aa1” from “Aaa”, citing rising debt and interest “that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns.”
“Successive U.S. administrations and Congress have failed to agree on measures to reverse the trend of large annual fiscal deficits and growing interest costs,” Moody’s said.
Moody’s was the last among major ratings agencies to keep a top, triple-A rating for U.S. sovereign debt, though it had lowered its outlook in late 2023 due to wider fiscal deficit and higher interest payments.
The agency today changed its outlook on the U.S. to “stable” from “negative.”
It typically “resolves” an outlook, meaning in case of a negative outlook it either brings it back to stable or goes ahead with a rating downgrade, within 18 to 24 months, so an update to its rating was likely at some point this year.