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Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Supports Disclosure and Accessibility of Municipal Credit Ratings

Posted on: Wednesday, 15 April 2009, 11:21 CDT

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) supports increased accessibility to all credit ratings for municipal bonds. The MSRB recognizes that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reviewing credit rating agency regulation as it relates to transparency and conflicts of interest for bond ratings. The MSRB has previously articulated its support of the SEC's goal to improve transparency in the credit rating process. The MSRB believes retail investors would benefit from clearer articulation of the considerations used in the ratings process, increased transparency in that process, and the disclosure or elimination of potential conflicts of interest.

The MSRB commends SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro for making credit ratings a priority and for holding today's SEC Credit Rating Agencies Roundtable on the oversight of credit rating agencies.

The municipal bond market is dominated by retail investors and credit ratings are an important indicator of credit quality. Investors need access to all relevant ratings to adequately determine certain risks related to a municipal security. However, it is important for investors to realize that ratings are only one tool to evaluate a security and cannot substitute for separate investment analysis.

The MSRB believes that recent bond insurer and liquidity bank downgrades have made access to underlying and enhanced credit ratings even more important for municipal investors. "Access to all credit ratings is vitally important for investors given the recent downgrades of bond insurer and liquidity bank ratings," said Ronald A. Stack, Chair of the MSRB. "We applaud the SEC for convening today's roundtable and look forward to progressive discussions on these issues that will benefit investors. We also support providing better disclosure of credit ratings of municipal bonds because knowledge of all ratings is a critical piece of investor protection."

The MSRB is considering options to make credit ratings more readily available, including disclosure to investors on the MSRB's Electronic Municipal Market Access (emma.msrb.org) system.

The MSRB has previously noted that the underlying rating (or the lack thereof) may be relevant to a transaction, particularly when the credit rating of the bond insurer is downgraded or is the subject of information from the rating agency about a potential rating action. An underlying credit rating is assigned to reflect the credit quality of an issue, independent of credit enhancements such as bond insurance. In order to ensure all required disclosures are made under MSRB Rule G-17, the MSRB has noted that a dealer must take into consideration information on underlying credit ratings that is available in established industry sources (or information otherwise known to the dealer) and must incorporate such information when determining the material facts to be disclosed about the transaction.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) was established in 1975 by Congress to develop rules regulating securities firms and banks involved in underwriting, trading, and selling municipal securities. The Board also operates information systems, including the Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) system, designed to promote transparency and access to information. The MSRB also conducts extensive outreach and education. The Board is composed of members from the municipal securities dealer community and the public, and is charged with protecting investors and promoting a fair and efficient market. The Board is a self-regulatory organization that is subject to oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB)

Source: PR Newswire

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