Moody's raises Sri Lanka's rating after debt overhaul approval

BY Reuters | CORPORATE | 06:26 AM EST

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Credit ratings agency Moody's on Monday raised Sri Lanka's long-term foreign currency issuer rating to 'Caa1' from 'Ca' with a stable outlook, after the country's creditors approved a $12.55 billion debt overhaul last week.

Sri Lanka's credit profile reflects the reduction in external vulnerability and government liquidity risk, and prospects for fiscal and debt sustainability, Moody's said in a report.

"Sri Lanka's credit fundamentals have improved over the past two years... external vulnerability and government liquidity risk have both declined from elevated levels," Moody's said.

The island nation had defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time in May 2022 due to its high debt burden and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

Its bondholders last week signed off on the government's proposal to restructure its international bonds as the island nation recovers from its worst financial crisis in decades.

The rating action marked the conclusion of a review Moody's initiated last month, in which it had indicated a possible upgrade.

Ratings agency Fitch on Friday raised Sri Lanka's long-term foreign-currency default rating to 'CCC+' from 'restricted default'. (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

fir_news_article