Print Resources at NYPL
- Mergent Bond Record1999 to present. Latest three issues available in the Business Center.
- Moody's Bond Record1936 to 1999 (replaced by Mergent Bond Record).
- Standard & Poor's Stock and Bond GuideS&P's Stock and Bond Guide publishes ratings for bonds from all three ratings agencies.
What are Bond Ratings?
A bond rating is a way to measure the creditworthiness of a bond, the ability of the issuer to pay interest and principal to the bondholder, which corresponds to the cost of borrowing for an issuer. These ratings typically assign a letter grade to bonds that indicates their credit quality.
There are three major independent bond rating services:
- Standard & Poor's
- Fitch Rating Services
- Moody's Investor Services
Ratings services assign ratings on a letter grade from one to three letters, from AAA (triple A), the highest, to D. A security with a rating of BB or lower is considered to be speculative and a risky investment; these are also known as junk bonds. In general, the higher a bond's rating, the lower its interest rate.
Electronic Resources at NYPL
- S&P Capital IQ (Standard and Poor's Capital IQ)S&P Capital IQ provides current and historical bond ratings for corporate bonds. Select the corporation, then "Credit Ratings" under the Fixed Income subject heading on the left side of the page.
