Moody's confirms U.S.'s triple-A rating

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)
Moody's Investors Service late Tuesday confirmed the U.S.'s triple-A rating following the increase in its debt ceiling.
However, the rating agency assigned a negative outlook on the rating.
 "The initial increase of the debt limit by $900 billion and the commitment to raise it by a further $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion by year-end have virtually eliminated the risk of such a default, prompting the confirmation of the rating at Aaa," Moody's said in a statement.
The ratings agency also said the debt deal is the first step in long-term fiscal consolidation that is the key in maintaining the sovereign rating at triple-A.
Moody's also warned that the negative outlook indicates that there is a risk of a downgrade if the U.S. fiscal environment weakens further and its economic outlook deteriorates significantly