Moody’s cuts Italy’s outlook to negative

Bloomberg

Italy’s sovereign rating outlook was lowered to negative by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited accumulated risks from Russia’s war in Ukraine to departure of PM Mario Draghi. Italy’s finance ministry called action “questionable.”
The credit quality of the European nation, which is rated Baa3 by Moody’s, is under pressure from heightened government risk that could impede structural reforms, including those in Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Moody’s analysts Sarah Carlson and Alejandro Olivo wrote.
“Risks to Italy’s credit profile have been accumulating more recently because of the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and domestic political developments, both of which could have material credit implications,” the analysts said. “Significant reliance on gas for its energy exposes Italy to further cuts in supply from Russia, as well as higher energy prices.”
Moody’s also cited a potential deterioration in the outlook for Italy’s public accounts due to “sluggish growth, higher funding costs, and potentially weaker fiscal discipline.” Early elections are expected to increase uncertainty. Draghi is heading a caretaker government until snap elections in September following the breakup of his coalition last month.
In a response, Italy’s finance ministry said the ratings action was “questionable” and not justified by economic conditions. Italy’s high public debt level was already reflected in its rating, and economic risks tilted to the downside are a general condition of all advanced economies, the ministry’s note added.