Fitch Ratings has begun a review of its counterparty criteria for global structured finance transactions in light of recent market turmoil.

The rating agency notes that markets have recently seen the failure of a number of high-profile institutions, such as the insolvency of Lehman Brothers, government seizure or receivership of the main Icelandic banks, as well as a number of instances of government support for distressed financial institutions across the globe. “This has brought Fitch’s existing structured finance rating criteria for addressing counterparty risk exposures into focus,” it said

The review will affect all counterparty criteria and will apply to the structured finance and structured credit transactions the agency rates globally. The new rating criteria is expected to be published by December, initially in the form of an exposure draft to seek market comment.

“The aim of the criteria revision will be to make changes which can better mitigate the potential risk of near-term counterparty default from high investment-grade levels, while continuing to maintain a transparent criteria approach,” says Stuart Jennings, Risk Officer for EMEA Structured Finance at Fitch Ratings.

An impact analysis upon existing transaction ratings will be published at the time of the exposure draft which will propose the new criteria. It is possible that – for certain types of exposure – some counterparties will not fit with the new counterparty criteria, Fich said. “This means that, in Fitch’s opinion, these counterparties are no longer compatible with the highest investment grade ratings for structured finance securities for particular exposures,” it explained, adding, “In such instances, in the event that transaction parties choose to take no mitigating action, some existing transaction ratings could face adverse rating action following implementation of new criteria.”