Standard and Poor’s gives Serbia BBB- investment-grade credit rating

Standard and Poor's (S&P) has given Serbia a BBB- investment-grade credit rating, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, announced on his official website.

As added in the press release, the agency has just released its latest report on the review of Serbian economy, which “proved to be a historic moment for our country.”

– We strived for it for almost a decade. Today we can all be proud to announce that Serbia has achieved a significant milestone by being upgraded to a BBB- credit rating, marking our entry into the investment-grade category for the very first time in our history. This is not merely a number/grade; it represents a turning point for our nation's economic trajectory. This upgrade is a watershed moment for Serbia and our businesses. It opens the door to lower financing costs, greater access to international capital markets and increased investor confidence – Vucic pointed out in the press release.

Serbian companies, as added, will from now on be able to attract foreign investments more easily and at more preferable conditions, paving the way for growth, innovation, and job creation across various sectors of our economy.

– There are international investors who, for several years, would like to invest in Serbia, because of the progress we are making, but their mandates state that they can only invest in investment grade countries. Now we have opened the door to them too. For all economic actors in our country, this IG status enhances the overall business environment. It signals to international investors that Serbia is a stable and attractive destination for investment with low risk or high certainty for conducting investment activities – the press release emphasizes.

As added, Serbia stands as the first Western Balkan country, but moreover currently the only EU candidate country that has an investment-grade rating.

The BBB rating, as the Beta news agency reminds, is the lowest investment grade, and as Standard and Poor’s explains, it entails “adequate capacity to meet financial commitments,” but is “more subject to adverse conditions.”

Standard and Poors

S and P

Aleksandar Vučić

BBB minus investment grade credit rating