Home / Daily Dose / Morningstar Authorized to Rate Financial Institutions by SEC
Print This Post Print This Post

Morningstar Authorized to Rate Financial Institutions by SEC

Tech Sights BHThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has authorized Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC, a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc., and a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), to rate financial institutions and corporate issuers under its NRSRO registration, according to an announcement from Morningstar Credit Ratings.

Morningstar’s corporate and financial institution credit ratings were recognized as NRSRO credit ratings effective on August 24, 2016. As part of the change, Morningstar, Inc.’s 13-member corporate credit analyst team will move to Morningstar Credit Ratings. Morningstar, Inc., originally launched corporate credit ratings and research in late 2009; since then, Morningstar Credit Ratings has rated more than 260 structured finance transactions representing approximately $170 billion of securities issuance across various types of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), and asset-backed securities (ABS), according to the announcement.

“Morningstar has a long tradition of providing investors with independent and robust research and ratings on all types of investments. Over the past several years, investors have come to rely on our ratings and analysis in the structured finance markets,” Vickie Tillman, president of Morningstar Credit Ratings, said.

According to Morningstar’s announcement, the corporate credit analyst team will continue to provide research, ratings, and analysis for corporate entities. Morningstar Credit Ratings will pursue ratings assignments for security-specific corporate debt offerings, unsecured real estate investment trust (REIT) debt, and financial institutions, the announcement stated.

“The expansion of our NRSRO registration to corporate issuers and financial institutions allows us to bring transparency and unique forward-looking perspectives to investors and issuers and provides a compelling alternative to the other NRSROs,” Tillman said. “Investors will also benefit from the ability to use our ratings to satisfy investment guidelines and determine risk-based capital charges on corporate debt securities.”

Click here for more information on the company’s offerings.

About Author: Kendall Baer

Kendall Baer is a Baylor University graduate with a degree in news editorial journalism and a minor in marketing. She is fluent in both English and Italian, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Apart from her work as a journalist, she has also managed professional associations such as Association of Corporate Counsel, Commercial Real Estate Women, American Immigration Lawyers Association, and Project Management Institute for Association Management Consultants in Houston, Texas. Born and raised in Texas, Baer now works as the online editor for DS News.
x

Check Also

Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady Moving Into the New Year

The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee again chose that no action is better than changing rates as the economy begins to stabilize.