Markets hardly reacted to the worsening debt rating by Moody's of Japan, announced on Wednesday. The rating agencies had indeed placed the debt rating under surveillance Japanese shortly after the disaster and the nuclear accident at the plant in Fukushima, in March. Which amounted to prevent a possible future market deterioration in sovereign debt rating of the country. Moody's has been the first to realize the threat, reducing the note to the next level of long-term debt of Japan, due to the massive debt the country.
Moody's said that Japanese debt is nearly double its gross domestic product (GDP) and it increases every year due to the issuance of treasury bills to cover the revenue well below costs, especially since the 2008 economic crisis."Several factors make it difficult to reduce the proportion of debt vis-à-vis the GDP, thus lowering the note," the statement said the rating agency.
Japan is therefore now been rated Aa3, which is the lowest level of debt deemed the most creditworthy. Further deterioration would tip the Japanese debt rating in the "average". However, a further reduction is not currently envisaged by Moody's. The agency says in fact that it maintains a stable outlook on the rating of Japan, given the preference of Japanese investors for the national treasury. Japanese debt is held mainly by Japanese, the country manages to partially finance the budget deficits at low rates, despite its significant debt.Arnaud Raymond, president of Capital Eleanor, recalls that, unlike Greece, whose debt is held more than 50% by foreign countries, Japan's is 98% owned by institutions or individuals Japan .
Political instability
Political instability is another reason that prompted Moody's to lower the debt rating of the country of the Rising Sun. For Moody's, frequent changes in leadership over the past five years have prevented the government to implement economic reforms and tax effective and long term. Fukushima and disaster has magnified the problem, according to Moody's fast payday loan. "The disaster delayed the recovery from the global recession of 2009 and deflation worsened.The economic growth prospects are low, making it difficult for the government to achieve the goals of deficit reduction and to launch a major reform of the tax system and social benefits, "says the agency.
The downgrade should prompt the Japanese government to put its finances and undertake tax reform, including through increased taxes. The decision by Moody's reduces the debt rating one notch lower than Japan over the note of agecnes competitors. However, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, giving it an "AA", threatened to worsen the country to the next level soon, because of its economic fragility.
No surprise for analysts
Hours after the publication of news on the downgrade of debt, Moody's also announced a cut of the degradation of the note of most Japanese banks, including Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking. "Despite the government's willingness to continue to support the banking system, there is an increasing risk of decline in its ability to provide this support," said Moody's.
The decision by Moody's has not had any significant effect on the yen against the dollar. The course of the dollar has remained stable over the threshold of 76.50 yen. As for the Nikkei index, was down 1.07% at closing, leaded mainly by the decline in Japanese bank stocks.Unlike the stock market panic that had spread to all financial markets after the announcement by another rating agency, Standard & Poor's, the deterioration of the U.S. debt rating, announced that Moody's had on Japan circoncrit effect to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
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