Fitch Ratings

Fitch Ratings traces its origins to Fitch Publishing Company, launched in New York in 1913. It introduced its letter-grade credit-rating system in 1924; Fitch Group became wholly owned by Hearst in 2018. The group has dual headquarters in London and New York and operates in more than 30 countries.

Fitch provides credit ratings, research, commentary and analytical tools covering non-financial corporates, financial institutions, insurers, sovereigns, public finance and structured finance. Its ratings are used by investors, issuers and regulators to assess credit risk across bond and loan markets.

For students, Fitch is particularly relevant for analytical work in fixed income, corporate credit, financial institutions and structured finance. Its scale is smaller than the other two global rating leaders, but it remains a major market participant, including a leading position in U.S. CLO issuance in 2025.