Moody’s has raised European Union member Cyprus’ Caa3 government bond rating outlook from “negative” to “positive”

Cites:

  • Country has taken important steps to slash its deficit and implement new fiscal consolidation measures
  • The general government deficit was 5.4 percent of GPD in 2013, down from 6.4 percent a year before
  • The island nation has also been fulfilling its obligations to international lenders

Moody’s cautioned that the Caa3 rating reflects the “still-elevated risk of Cyprus defaulting on its debt, or undergoing debt restricting over the medium term given the highly interrelated economic, banking sector and public finance risks it continues to face. While Moody’s acknowledges that the government has exhibited the financial flexibility to consolidate public finances, these measures are on a much smaller scale than the risks posed by potential protracted economic recession”