Comparative characteristics of the Standard&Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch ratings

The activities of the leading international credit rating agencies Standard&Poor’s (S&P), Moody’s and Fitch, peculiarities of their work and existing differences have been considered. The relevance of the study lies in the comparative characterization of the listed agencies in the current conditions of the anti-Russian sanctions expansion and their strengthening after the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to compare the activities of the world’s leading rating agencies S&P, Moody’s and Fitch in modern conditions. The subject of the study is the peculiarities of these agencies’ activities and changes that have occurred in the conditions of the anti-Russian sanctions. To achieve the set goal the following tasks have been set: the leading credit rating agencies’ activities analysis, comparison of their methodological approaches and the scales used to assess the credit rating of countries. The conclusions about the place and important role of international credit rating agencies in the modern world financial system, differences in the assessments made by the agencies, the specific attitude of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch to the credit rating of Russia in the current conditions of the anti-Russian sanctions expansion and the special military operation have been presented.