S&P

Standard & Poor's has downgraded the credit ratings of a raft of eurozone nations including Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as stripping France and Austria of their AAA status.

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Standard & Poor's has said it may downgrade the European Union's AAA rating and make further cuts to eurozone banks' credit ratings if a review of eurozone countries prompts mass sovereign downgrades.

Standard & Poor's has warned it may downgrade the eurozone bailout fund's AAA-rating once its review of eurozone countries' own ratings is complete.

S&P has downgraded Belgium's credit rating by one notch, to AA from AA+, expressing concerns about funding and market pressures.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has warned Japan could face a downgrade over its inability to reduce its debt pile.

The US supercommittee's failure to agree a debt reduction plan means the country faces a second rating downgrade by the year end, an economist has warned.

The European Commission (EC) has proposed a crackdown on ratings agencies such as Standard & Poor's (S&P) and Moody's which would see them held accountable for mistakes and ensure they followed stricter rules.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) was last night at the centre of a storm after it accidentally downgraded France's AAA rating.