Credit Currents - Moody's Ratings

Instant, low-cost cross-border payments are moving closer to reality as blockchain, stablecoins and tokenization reshape financial infrastructure. This episode explores how distributed ledger technology can enable faster, more transparent transactions while improving liquidity management through automation and smart contracts.   Adoption remains gradual, with regulatory uncertainty, interoperabili...

Is the US economy increasingly dependent on high-income consumers? In this episode of “Credit Currents,” Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics, and Atsi Sheth, Chief Credit Officer at Moody’s Ratings, examine the reality of the K-shaped economy. They explore how the top 20% of earners now drive roughly 60% of spending, while lower-income households face mounting pressure from rising cos...

Private credit has hit a speed bump in the US, where the market is rapidly pivoting from growth to stricter risk discipline.   At our flagship “Credit Frontiers” event, we sat down with Moody’s leaders to discuss what’s behind these “bad vibes” about private credit and what they’re hearing from market participants about the trajectory of the asset class.   Host: Giulia Calcabrini, Assistant Vice P...

What comes next for sustainable finance debt markets?   The energy transition’s momentum has shifted towards more pragmatic rationales, including energy security, sovereignty and critical supply chain resilience.   In this episode, we discuss why, despite headwinds arising from global trade tensions, Asia remains a contributing force for the “pragmatic transition”, the favorable conditions support...

Asset tokenization and digital money, including stablecoins, are moving from the margins of finance toward the core of market infrastructure, spurring banks and other market participants to adapt their approach to blockchain technology.   In this episode of Credit Currents , we explore why trust and regulation are central to  adoption of tokenized assets, and how a gradual move in this direction c...

There could be big changes coming to longstanding bank regulations. With earnings season heating up, the discussion over capital rules is back in focus.    Credit Currents is on the ground in Washington, D.C. as the world's top policymakers and regulators attend meetings with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Institute of International Finance (IIF).    We unpack what looser ca...

A temporary truce between the US and Iran is contingent on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but disruptions to global supply chains, energy markets, oil prices and various sectors are still risks to credit quality.    In our latest episode of Credit Currents , taped hours before the news broke, we discuss the ways geopolitical shocks ripple through sectors , whether there could be an impact...

Streaming giant Netflix withdrew its bid for Warner Brothers Discovery on the eve of this year’s Oscars, but it doesn’t mean Paramount has won the battle for dominance over the media landscape. Regulators still must approve the deal, and Paramount’s offer comes with huge debt.    In this first episode of Credit Currents , a new video podcast series from Moody’s Ratings, we reveal the stakes at pla...

Streaming giant Netflix withdrew its bid for Warner Brothers Discovery on the eve of this year’s Oscars, but it doesn’t mean Paramount has won the battle for dominance over the media landscape. Regulators still must approve the deal, and Paramount’s offer comes with huge debt.     In this first episode of Credit Currents, a new video podcast series from Moody’s Ratings launching on April 2, 2026,...

Corporate and sovereign default rates are decreasing as GDP growth, slowing inflation and monetary easing aid debt management. But EMs face a number of credit risks including potential US tariffs. Guest : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody’s Ratings Host : Colin Ellis, Managing Director, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody’s Ratings Related Research : Emerging Markets – Global...

In this joint Big Picture-Emerging Markets Decoded episode, our regional analysts highlight the key US policy areas to watch in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America -- and discuss which economies and sectors could be at risk if policies were to dramatically change. Guests : Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Ratings; Gong Cheng, Managing Director, Credit Strategy...

Institutional reforms, policy reversals, debt restructurings and the prospect of new hydrocarbon production are leading to gradual improvement in some sovereigns’ creditworthiness from weak levels. Guest : John Walsh, Analyst, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody's Ratings Related Research : Sovereign – Sub-Saharan Africa: Governanc...

Risk exposure is highest for those directly involved in the region’s three main hotspots. But the knock-on economic effects of the tensions have the potential to hurt, or help, other APAC governments. Guest : Anushka Shah, Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody's Ratings Related Research : Sover...

India's large domestic market shields its companies from external shocks, whereas Indonesia's export-dependent commodity sector prompts government efforts to diversify growth. Guests: Rachel Chua, VP-Senior Analyst; Sweta Patodia, AVP-Analyst Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody's Ratings Related Research:   Nonfinancial Companies – India and Indonesia: Credit quality w...

Challenges include the region’s reliance on fossil fuels to meet energy demand amid population growth, the companies’ weak financials and governments’ reliance on revenue from oil and gas producers. Guests : Roxana Munoz and Carolina Chimenti, both Vice President - Senior Analysts, Corporate Finance Group, Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Credit Strategy & Guidance, Moody's Ratings R...

Rate hikes in Turkiye have slowed inflation, and confidence in the country’s currency is increasing. The sovereign’s creditworthiness is improving as a result, along with that of Turkish companies. Guests : Kathrin Muehlbronner, Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Ratings; Iker Ballestero Barrutia, Analyst, Corporate Finance Group, Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Cr...

The opposition to proposed tax hikes impedes the government’s ability to increase revenue and reduce debt. Similar risks exist for other emerging market sovereigns too. Guest : David Rogovic, Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Ratings Host : Scott Phillips, Head of Emerging Markets, Credit Strategy and Research, Moody’s Ratings Related Research : Moody's Ratings...

We have revised our aggregate EM forecast up slightly to 3.9% for 2024-25 to reflect faster-than-expected growth in some of the largest EMs so far this year. Disinflation continues but is slowing. Speaker : Madhavi Bokil, Senior Vice President, Credit Strategy at Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Emerging Markets at Moody’s Ratings Related Research : Emerging Markets – Global: GDP gro...

The creation of a coalition government following 29 May elections will likely support broad policy continuity and reforms, but the risk of government instability and ineffectiveness is significant. Guest : Aurelien Mali, Vice President-Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Ratings Host : Scott Phillips, Associate Managing Director, Credit Strategy & Research, Moody's Ratings Related...

Moody’s Ratings experts discuss the fragile recovery and new threats in EMs, including macro conditions, default trends, credit risks for sovereigns and corporates, and bright spots. Host : Scott Phillips, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Ratings Related Research : Fragile recovery in EM credit conditions will continue Emerging Markets – Global: Local currency bond markets are growing fast, a...

Join Scott Phillips, head of EM at Moody’s Ratings, and Maciej Woznica, portfolio manager at asset management firm Coeli, for a tour of the least-developed emerging markets. Guest : Maciej Woznica, Portfolio Manager, Coeli Host : Scott Phillips, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Ratings Related Research: Gradual recovery in emerging market credit conditions will continue (infographic)   ©...

The default rate will decline to 3.3% by the end of Q1 2025, far below the peak of nearly 15% at the end of 2022 which was driven by the Russia-Ukraine war and China’s property market woes. Guest : Yang Liu, Vice President - Senior Analyst, Moody's Ratings Host : Scott Phillips, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Ratings Related Research : Corporates – Emerging Markets: EM corporate default rate...

Moody’s analysts discuss the increased risk for sovereigns from escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, and then shift to the growing demand for Islamic finance. Guests : Christian Fang, Vice President – Senior Analyst, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Ratings; Badis Shubailat, Assistant Vice President – Analyst, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst, Emerging Ma...

Growth will slow in 2024 then stabilize in 2025 in most emerging markets. We have raised our forecasts for Asia, Central-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa but lowered them for Latin America. Host : Scott Phillips, Head of Emerging Markets, Moody's Ratings Speaker : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst - Emerging Markets, Moody's Ratings     © 2026 Moody’s Corporation and/or its licensors and affil...

It will take time and effort for sectors like tech and EVs to drive China’s GDP growth, and geopolitics is a risk. But emerging markets supplying relevant goods and services to China stand to benefit. Guest : Gong Cheng, Managing Director - Credit Strategy, Moody's Ratings Host : Vittoria Zoli, Analyst - Emerging Markets, Moody's Ratings   © 2026 Moody’s Corporation and/or its licensors and a...