Moody's Disciplines Employees Over European Ratings

Moody's Investors Service, a credit rating agency, said Tuesday it disciplined employees for considering improper factors when assigning ratings to complicated European debt products known as constant-proportion debt obligations.

Members of Moody's European CPDO monitoring committee considered factors including the potential wider impact of a downgrade, the company said. The findings are based on an investigation conducted by law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

"I am deeply disappointed by the conduct that occurred in this incident," said Moody's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Raymond McDaniel.

The Financial Times reported in May that a computer coding error had led Moody's, a unit of Moody's Corp, to incorrectly assign top ratings to CPDOs.