The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission” or “SEC”) has prepared this Report on the role and function of credit rating agencies in the operation of the securities markets in response to the Congressional directive contained in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). 1 The Report is designed to address each of the topics identified for Commission study in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the role of credit rating agencies and their importance to the securities markets, impediments faced by credit rating agencies in performing that role, measures to improve information flow to the market from rating agencies, barriers to entry.
