S&P Puts 15 Euro Nations on Watch for Downgrade Amid Sovereign-Debt Crisis

Standard & Poor’s said Germany and France may be stripped of their AAA credit ratings as the debt crisis prompts 15 euro nations to be put on review for possible downgrade. The euro area’s six AAA rated countries are among the nations to be placed on a negative outlook, and their credit ratings may be cut depending on the result of a summit of European Union leaders on Dec. 9, S&P said today in a statement. The euro reversed its gains and U.S. Treasuries rose earlier today after the Financial Times reported that the credit-ranking firm planned to reduce six AAA outlooks. “Systemic stress in the Eurozone has risen in recent weeks and reached such a level that a review of all Eurozone sovereign ratings is warranted,” S&P said in a statement. The euro pared gains against the dollar, trading at $1.3401 per euro at 5:01 p.m. in New York after rising as high as $1.3487.