SEC Publishes Annual Staff Report on Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Credit Ratings published its annual Staff Report to Congress today on Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs), commonly known as credit rating agencies, to provide findings on its examinations of the agencies, and to discuss the state of competition, transparency, and conflicts of interest among them. “The oversight of Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations is critical to the Commission's focus on investor protection,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “The Office of Credit Ratings’ work and oversight benefits our efforts to protect investors as well as ensure the integrity of the rating process.” “To protect investors, our examinations focus on specific activities of the credit rating agencies to assess whether or not they are compliant with applicable rules and regulations," said Lori Price, Director of the Office of Credit Ratings.