US ratings agency Fitch to launch service in UK

Fitch Ratings, the US fund rating service, is to launch a fund rating service covering UK funds as part of a new offering aimed at professional investors.

Investment Week understands the group has been sounding out some of the UK’s largest asset managers about launching the service later this year.

Fitch already provides ratings covering the strength of asset managers around the globe, as well as funds in the institutional space.

It also provides issuer and bond ratings, and research on banks, companies and sovereigns.

A spokeswoman said: “We are looking at opportunities in that space. We currently rate a number of institutional funds and asset managers, and we are looking at how we can leverage that expertise.”

The group, which has a team of 40 analysts, will target the new fund ratings service at IFAs and wealth managers in the UK.

Fitch already rates money market, bond and closed-ended funds using a AAA scale, although these ratings are focused more on credit quality or the ability of funds to preserve capital and provide liquidity.

The new service will employ the experience of the teams it already has – including its fund and asset management rating teams.

A number of providers already rate the UK fund industry, with OBSR, Lipper and Standard & Poor’s all running similar services.