European non-financial companies face a broadly balanced credit outlook in 2025. Sturdy company finances stand in contrast to a challenging external environment of geopolitical and trade tensions, uneven growth and higher-for-longer interest rates.

Scope’s mandated ratings of European companies continues to grow with the addition of HORNBACH to its coverage.

Management changes, strikes and shrinking profits late in 2024 show how severely a mixture of cyclical and structural challenges is unsettling Europe’s auto sector.

As COP29 has come to an end, the meeting has clarified that the leading roles in future of financing climate action are likely to land in the laps of the EU and China.

Tuesday, 3 December 2024, 15:30 CET

Even blue-chip companies with the strongest sustainability profiles, including robust ESG-mitigation strategies, have much room to improve their environmental and social impacts.

Scope Ratings calls for comments on its General Corporate Rating Methodology by 16 November 2024. The update strengthens, refines and further clarifies Scope’s analytical approach. A limited impact is expected on outstanding issuer and debt ratings.

Wednesday, November 6th 2024 - 11:30 AM (CET)

Scope’s ESG Performance Score captures the three dimensions of a company’s sustainability by combining impact and risk assessment with strategy analysis in a newly comprehensive approach applicable to any firm, large or small.

Debt markets are slowly reopening for Europe’s commercial real estate companies, but investor confidence is yet to recover to pre-2022 levels given the prevalence of high leverage, heavy capital expenditure and questions over governance at some issuers.