Creditwatch
A rating appears on "Credit Watch" when an unexpected event or a deviation from the expected occurs and the information required for a thoughtful rating conclusion to be reached is not immediately available. A CreditWatch designation may be positive, negative or developing. A positive designation means that a rating may be raised or maintained, negative means it may be lowered or maintained, and developing means it may be raised, lowered, or affirmed. CreditWatch designations are usually resolved within 90 days of listing, although in specific cases they may remain longer awaiting the outcome of specific events.
Outlooks
A rating "outlook" or “perspective” is an opinion about the apparent direction of an issuer's rating, all else being equal, over a 12 – 24 month time horizon and fall into one of two categories, positive or negative. An “outlook” should never be viewed as a prediction or guarantee that a future rating change will actually occur.
