Commercial Paper Defaults and Rating Transitions, 1972–1995

Abstract

Investors in commercial paper (CP) markets include money market mutual funds, corporate treasurers, state and local governments, and commercial banks and their trust departments. The obligors in the market are predominantly large and highly creditworthy corporations. The credit risks faced by CP investors have been minimal historically. However, the general decline in corporate credit quality that began in the first half of the 1980s set the stage for the spate of credit problems and defaults that took place in many CP markets beginning in 1987. While the incidence of default has decreased since 1991, the credit risks faced by commercial paper investors have not subsided to pre‐1987 levels. This analysis addresses concerns generated by this surge in credit risk.

Citation

CARTY, L.V. and LIEBERMAN, D. (1999), "Commercial Paper Defaults and Rating Transitions, 1972–1995", Journal of Risk Finance, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 87-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb022939