big boys come out to play, page-19

Take a look at this article on CNBC, for a laugh
The ratings agencies are at it again. They rated sub-prime loans as AAA+. Now they are doing a list of companies that may deafault on loans.

Someone in the US should start a class action against them, then they would have to put their name on the top of this list as the damages claims world wide would bankrupt them and their insurers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Companies ranging from Eastman Kodak to Unisys are at risk of defaulting on their debt in the eyes of credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Moody's is expected on Tuesday to publish a list detailing 283 such companies, called "The Bottom Rung," which it will update monthly, according to a story published on the newspaper's website on Monday.

About 45 percent of companies on the list will default on debt in the next year, Moody's says, which could include anything from filing for bankruptcy to missing debt payments.

Companies in the U.S. car industry, retail chains, media and casino gambling dominate the list, and energy firms, airlines and restaurant chains appear often, the newspaper said.

The story quoted a Kodak spokesman as saying that speculation of this kind was "irresponsible" and added that the company "is financially solid."

A Unisys spokesman was not immediately available.

(Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by Jan Dahinten)