According to a comprehensive report by WorldWay: The Irish Times reported on August 18 that as international rating agency FITCH upgraded Ireland's sovereign debt rating from BBB+ to A-, Ireland's financing costs in international financial markets have fallen to record lows. In trading on the 18th, the yield on Ireland's 10-year government bonds dropped to 1.97%, a level lower than the yields on comparable government bonds in the United States and the United Kingdom. The report stated that Fitch believes that after years of austerity adjustments, Ireland's debt situation has improved significantly. Following its exit from the international bailout, the country's fiscal and financial situation has stabilized, and its economic recovery, led by a rebound in employment, is performing well.
Fitch projects that Ireland's 2014 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could grow by 2.2%. It is reported that Fitch is the second major international rating agency, following Standard & Poor's, to restore Ireland's sovereign debt rating to the A-grade level.
WorldWay Editor



