• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
FinanceValeant

Here’s Why Moody’s Just Downgraded Valeant

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 1, 2016, 2:28 PM ET

Valeant’s debt problems are getting bigger.

On Friday, Moody’s lowered its rating on $32 billion worth of Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) debt, outlining in a report the grim challenges facing the troubled drugmaker, signaling the chance that company will go bankrupt is on the rise.

Moody’s downgraded most of the company’s debt from B1 to B2, which is five notches below investment grade and an even lower junk rating than it cut them to two weeks ago, when Valeant said it might default because it missed creditors’ deadlines for filing its financial reports. Valeant’s shares dropped more than 50% following the shocking disclosure, announced during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

While none of Valeant’s bondholders have given it official notice of default yet—and Valeant earlier this week asked its creditors for an extension to avoid that scenario—Moody’s also downgraded Valeant’s default risk rating to Caa1-PD, citing “the heightened probability of default.”

(For more read: The Really Big Problem With Valeant’s Debt)

Valeant’s rating remains under review by Moody’s, which said it could downgrade it further if “we believe the probability of defaulting is rising.” After Valeant’s disastrous earnings call, Standard & Poor’s also said it was watching the company’s debt and might downgrade it, but so far it has held its rating steady at B+, the equivalent of Moody’s former B1 rating, according to Bloomberg.

Explaining its downgrade decision, Moody’s also rattled off a series of other red flags at the company. Valeant’s recent announcement that it will replace its CEO Michael Pearson, “discord amongst senior management,” “continued scrutiny on drug pricing” from regulators, and changes to the company’s board—including the addition of activist investor Bill Ackman—all pose risks, Moody’s senior vice president Michael Levesque wrote in the report. Valeant’s “weakened reputation and management credibility” could also make it more difficult for the company to grow revenue and deliver on its promise to pay down debt.

Levesque noted that Valeant’s junk rating was unusually low for companies of its “scale and diversity.” But most of those companies “also are not facing the same degree of operating challenges as Valeant,” he wrote.

Still, Moody’s doesn’t foresee cutting Valeant’s rating again “absent any major new setbacks or significant new issues,” according to the report. Valeant stock rose nearly 11% on Friday afternoon.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

‘I gave SpaceX less than a 10% chance of succeeding’: Elon Musk addresses Nasdaq ahead of SpaceX IPO
InvestingSpaceX
‘I gave SpaceX less than a 10% chance of succeeding’: Elon Musk addresses Nasdaq ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Catherina GioinoJune 12, 2026
45 minutes ago
Roche and Nestlé fear talent crunch as Switzerland puts population cap to the polls
EuropeSwitzerland
Roche and Nestlé fear talent crunch as Switzerland puts population cap to the polls
By Sam ForsdickJune 12, 2026
1 hour ago
Current price of Bitcoin for June 12, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for June 12, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 12, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 12, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of gold as of June 12, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of June 12, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.