Ratings
To assist debt and fixed income investors to better evaluate the risk of any given investment, the capital market uses the publicly available independent assessments of rating agencies. Through regular discussions with the senior management of companies, rating agencies gain an insight into the strategy and planning of the companies that they rate. Using this information as a base, supplemented by quantitative analysis, rating agencies evaluate the creditworthiness of the issuer companies through a system of rating classifications. Companies which want to raise money in the capital markets in the form of bonds, commercial paper and other debt instruments normally need a minimum of one or, better, two ratings.
The leading international rating agencies are Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings.
Current Ratings
| Rating Agency / Analyst | Short Term | Long Term | Outlook | Last Update |
| Standard & Poor's | A-1 | A- | positive | 02 November 2012 |
| Moody's Investors Service | Not rated | A2 | stable | 06 December 2012 |
| Fitch Ratings (unsolicited) Tom Chruszcz | F2 | BBB+ | positive | 21 September 2012 |
The higher the rating classification is, the smaller is the potential risk that a company cannot meet its debt obligations (interest and principal). The debt investor charges a higher rate of interest for financing a higher risk. Thus a company with a strong rating can raise capital more advantageously than a company which has a less favourable rating. Additionally, the outlook given by a rating agency provides a supplementary reference point for the investor in assessing the probable development of the rating.
Rating History
Standard & Poor's Rating History
| Short Term | Long Term | Outlook | Rating Action |
| A-1 | A - | positive | 02 October 2012 |
| A-2 | A - | positive | 20 September 2011 |
| A-2 | A - | stable | 22 September 2010 |
| A-2 | BBB+ | stable | 10 May 2007 |
| A-2 | A - | Negative watch | 11 October 2006 |
| A-1 | A | Negative watch | 3 October 2006 |
| A-1 | A | negative | 14 June 2006 |
| A-1 | A | stable | 30 April 2004 |
| A-1 | A | negative | 3 September 2003 |
| A-1 | A | Negative watch | 18 March 2003 |
| A-1 | A | stable | 8 January 2001 |
Moody's Rating History
| Short Term | Long Term | Outlook | Rating Action |
| NR | A2 | stable | 6 December 2012 |
| NR | A1 | stable | 9 March 2007 |
| NR | A1 | negative watch | 22 September 2006 |
| NR | A1 | stable | 23 June 2005 |
| NR | A3 | stable | 15 March 2002 |
| NR | A2 | negative watch | 27 September 2001 |
| NR | A2 | stable | 8 March 2001 |
Fitch Rating History
| Short Term | Long Term | Outlook | Rating Action |
| F2 | BBB+ | positive | 21 September 2012 |
| F2 | BBB+ | stable | 8 February 2008 |
| F2 | A- | negative | 12 March 2007 |
| F2 | A- | negative watch | 10 October 2006 |
| F1 | A | negative watch | 4 October 2006 |
| F1 | A | negative | 14 June 2006 |
| F1 | A | stable | 9 July 2004 |
Please find below an overview of the ratings of the three leading rating agencies, ranked in decling order of creditworthiness.
Credit analysts' coverage
| Bank | Name |
| Barclays | Darren Hook |
| BNP-Paribas | Jean-Yves Coupin |
| Commerzbank | Patrick Kohlmann |
| Citigroup | Bob Buhr |
| Credit Suisse | Ben Maurer |
| Dresdner Bank | Arndt Muthreich |
| HSBC-CCF | Philippe Landroit |
| Société Générale | Roberto Pozzi |
| Unicredit | Jana Arndt |
indicative list only: the present list does not purport to be comprehensive nor does EADS recommend any analyst's work in particular.
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