Bond rating meaning

UK developments DESNZ consults on implementing voluntary carbon and nature market integrity principles The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has opened a consultation to gather feedback on how to put into practice the UK Government’s six principles for integrity in voluntary carbon and nature markets (VCNMs), assessing how they fit markets at varying stages of development. The Minister for Climate Change, Kerry McCarthy MP, unveiled these principles at COP29 in November 2024. It further seeks to define expectations for supplier and purchaser participation in VCNMs and to consider embedding such approaches within guidance, policy and possible regulation, underpinned by market frameworks that can institutionalise and scale high‑integrity practices. The call for views closes on 10 July 2025. See: LNB News 17/04/2025 13. Sources: Voluntary carbon and nature markets: raising integrity; UK backs businesses to trade carbon credits and unlock finance. EU developments EBA publishes ESG dashboard for centralised climate risk monitoring in the EU/EEA banking sector The European Banking Authority (EBA) has...

In this issue: UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Authorisation, approval and supervision Prudential requirements Financial crime and sanctions Consumer protection Complaints, compensation and claims management Investigations, enforcement and discipline Regulation of capital markets Dispute resolution for financial services lawyers Regulation of derivatives Sustainable finance and ESG Banks and mutuals UK MiFID II EU MiFID II Consumer credit Regulation of insurance Payment services and systems Fintech and cryptoassets LexTalk®Financial Services: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary UK, EU and international regulators and bodies FCA publishes Handbook Notice No 135 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued Handbook Notice No 134, outlining amendments to the FCA Handbook and related materials approved by the FCA board on 27 November 2025. See: LNB News 28/11/2025 48. ESMA sets out planned consultations for...

UK developments FCA speech highlights need for clarity and higher standards in transition finance The Financial Conduct Authority has released a speech by Alicia Kedzierski, head of department in the sustainable finance division, delivered at the Loan Market Association’s Sustainable Finance Conference. Titled ‘Raising standards in transition finance: clarity, coherence, collaboration’, it emphasises the loan market’s pivotal role in funding the UK’s move to a low‑carbon economy. Kedzierski calls for clear, consistent definitions of ‘transition finance’ and for designing transition instruments so they neither overlap with nor compete against other product categories. See: LNB News 12/11/2025 14. Sources: Raising standards in transition finance: clarity, coherence, collaboration; and The sustainability‑linked loans market – two years on. UKEF announces reinsurance agreement with Brazil and clean growth initiatives ahead of COP30 UK Export Finance has entered a reinsurance agreement with Brazil’s export credit agency, ABGF—the first agreement ABGF has made with another export credit agency. The arrangement will allow UKEF‑backed guarantees to support Brazilian exports that include British content, prioritising...

What are investment-grade, high yield and crossover bonds? Investment grade (IG) bonds are debt instruments that hold an IG credit rating: BBB and above on the S&P and Fitch scales, and Baa3 and above on the Moody’s scale (for further detail on credit ratings, see Practice Note: Credit ratings). IG issuers are usually sizeable blue‑chip corporates—well‑known, well‑established and well‑capitalised—and are often companies with shares listed on a major stock exchange. Aside from sovereign bonds of developed markets, IG securities are widely regarded as among the safest income‑generating investments. As a consequence of this perceived safety, IG bonds tend to offer lower yields than high yield (HY) bonds. Many institutional investors and pension schemes operate policies and mandates that constrain their bond holdings to assets with, on average, lower default risk, such as IG instruments or government obligations. In broad terms, HY bonds encompass all bonds from issuers rated below IG. HY issuers may include public companies that lack (or previously had but later lost) an IG rating, private companies...

Debt Capital Markets Glossary—A Accelerate Acceleration of a note means declaring it immediately due and payable before its scheduled maturity when an event of default arises, and this requires notice to be given. Agreement among managers A contract between the managers that sets out the nature and terms of their relationship, generally based on the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) standard form. Allotment The portion of notes offered by the lead manager to the syndicate. Allotment telex Where no co-managers are invited to the syndicate, the lead manager handling documentation sends the other lead managers an allotment telex confirming the allocation of the notes, subject to completion of the issue. Debt Capital Markets Glossary—B Basis point One hundredth of a per cent (0.01%); i.e. a rate of a stated benchmark plus 75 bps equals that benchmark rate plus 0.75%. Bearer form The key characteristics of bearer securities are that: a bearer security is a...

Banking & Finance glossary A Auditing and Accounting Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) The foremost Islamic, international, autonomous, independent, not-for-profit corporate body that develops and issues accounting, auditing, governance, ethics and Shari’ah benchmarks and standards for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the wider Islamic finance sector. Founded in Bahrain in 1991, it is backed by a number of institutional members across more than 45 countries, including central banks and regulatory authorities, financial institutions, accounting and auditing practices, and legal firms. Its pronouncements are currently applied by leading Islamic financial institutions across the world and have advanced a progressive and gradual harmonisation of global Islamic finance practice. It also delivers professional qualification programmes—notably Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA), Certified Shari’ah Adviser and Auditor (CSAA), and the corporate compliance programme—in efforts to strengthen the industry’s human capital and governance frameworks. For further details, see Practice Note: Key participants in the Islamic finance industry—Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Acceleration Acceleration is the formal action...