How Moody’s Investors Service helps market participants navigate and manage risks

Since it started operations in Asia Pacific (Apac) in 1985 with an office in Japan, Moody’s Investors Service (MIS) has lost no time in making its offerings — credit ratings, research and risk analysis — more relevant and accessible. Today, MIS employs over 800 staff across Apac. Its portfolio of domestic affiliates in Apac is the largest within MIS globally, some of which, such as KIS in Korea, ICRA in India, CCXI in China, MARC in Malaysia and VIS Rating in Vietnam, represent the most reputable and trusted credit rating agencies in their home markets.

As of July 2023, MIS has published ratings on over 2,100 rated organisations and structured deals in the Apac region, and its rated debt portfolio stands at over $9 trillion while its rated debt coverage by volume is 86%. These numbers amply reflect MIS’ presence, reach and commitment to serving a diverse range of clients, capturing opportunities across various industries, including corporates (90%), financial institutions (86%) and infrastructure (72%) between January and November 2023.

Maria Lee, MD – head of Asia Pacific relationship management at MIS, said, “From environmental to cyber risks, we continually expand and enhance our capabilities through organic growth, strategic investments and acquisitions to better serve our customers.”

According to Lee, MIS’ ratings and research reports help to maintain and stabilise investor confidence by providing consistent predictive value. Between July 2022 and July 2023, MIS published over 3,100 research publications related to the Asia Pacific region, attracting over 247,500 reads.
 

Building for the future – MIS’ IssuerFocus

MIS is committed to modifying its suite of products and services to meet the evolving needs of its customers. An example of this customer-centric approach is IssuerFocus, MIS’ secure cloud-based platform that provides a single point of access for ratings, research, selected peer information within a customer’s specific sector, and insights into investor interest. Its customers can tap directly into a curated experience with 24/7 access, a user-friendly interface, real-time updates, customised preferences and alerts, and downloadable peer data, all optimised for desktop, mobile and tablet.

IssuerFocus launched in Apac in November 2021 and Lee highlights that users’ consistent engagement on the platform attests to its utility as an important tool for customers looking to Moody’s for insights into credit risks and market implications. Feedback from all key markets, including Australia, Hong Kong, India and Korea, cite IssuerFocus’ utility as a single source of information, its improved efficiencies during peer comparison analysis, and its value as a resource for internal stakeholders looking to evaluate overseas counterparties.
 

Solutions for a more sustainable future 

MIS has also demonstrated its commitment to enhancing transparency amid a rising focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and growing demand for independent analysis of issuers’ sustainability efforts. Among its various resources, its Second Party Opinions on sustainable financing frameworks and instruments provide an independent assessment of their impact and alignment with global sustainability standards, and its Net Zero Assessments, launched in November 2023, offer an analysis of the strength of an organisation's carbon transition plan against the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement to reach global net zero by 2050.

“These tools provide organisations greater clarity on their sustainability impact, in line with our purpose of providing trusted insights and standards that help decision-makers act with confidence,” explained Lee.