Credit Benchmark’s Transition Matrices show that post-COVID credit recovery has been strong across most credit categories, but at the same time a significant number of investment grade firms have started to be subject to multi-notch downgrades.

Global Tobacco credit quality has weakened by 3.4% month-on-month. The introduction of stricter tobacco measures globally, as well as COVID-19, all contribute to this change.

The 2022 technology stock meltdown brought widespread financial damage. Markets are repricing the new reality of geopolitical tension, inflation and scarce money. But has the selloff brought opportunities?

The latest whitepaper from Credit Benchmark illustrates the global credit trends in the first quarter of 2022. With global growth rebounding strongly at the start of 2022, consensus credit trends mirrored this recovery across a broad range of sectors. But as inflation grows and interest rates look likely to jump, will heavily indebted companies drive credit defaults higher?

The Ukraine war has seen countries scrambling to secure energy supplies, boosting the need for renewable sources. But with renewable energy paradoxically dependent on the increasingly volatile climate, diversity in technologies is critical to ensure stable supplies from renewable sources. Credit Consensus Ratings are available for a variety of wind and solar firms, with this report showing some divergences in credit quality.

The Fed is taking an aggressive approach to rising inflation with predictions of imminent rate hikes, and some UK sectors will feel the flow-on impact harder than others. This report shows the historical impact of Fed rates, among other factors, on the credit quality of UK Corporate sectors.

The global construction industry is facing renewed challenges: just as the COVID-driven labour and materials shortages showed signs of easing, the Ukraine war is hitting the industry in two specific areas: steel and glass. But not all firms are affected equally – this report analyses credit improvement in US Construction & Materials companies.

The war in Ukraine has already had a dramatic impact on the global food trade with Russian aggression damaging global food supplies, and the fertiliser industry is also due to feel the pinch. EU Food Product firms are taking the hit, with a 4% drop in credit quality in the last month. Consensus data will continue to track the effect of the war on sectors and companies, rated and unrated, across the globe.

In 2011, FTSE350 boards were 91% male – since then, a target of 33% average female representation has been achieved. Corporate diversity has been proven to improve performance, and consensus credit data shows that firms with more women on their board are also a better credit risk. This report analyses credit performance for companies that do and do not meet the 33% target.