Moody's reaffirms stable outlook for six public issuers

By Patrick Fox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Moody's Investors Services reinstated "stable outlooks" for six metro Atlanta government bond issuers this week after each had been placed into "negative outlook" status last summer. Cobb, Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, Gwinnett County School District, Cobb Water and Sewer and Gwinnett County Water and Sewerage Authority were placed into negative outlook status during the federal budget crisis in August.

But this week, Moody's determined the agencies did not have sufficient exposure to the U.S. government, including economic sensitivity to federal spending reductions, to warrant the status. All of the agencies carry an Aaa rating, the highest the company assigns.