Moody's Lowers NYSE Euronext Debt Ratings

Moody's Investors Service lowered its long-term debt rating on NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, "A3" from "A2," which is still investment grade.

Moody's has a negative outlook on NYSE Euronext. Moody's also lowered its short-term rating for NYSE Euronext to Prime-2 from Prime-1, according to the AP. Prime-2 signifies a company's "strong" ability to meet its debt obligations while Prime-1 means a company has "superior" ability to pay its creditors.

NYSE Euronext faces competitive pressures that could erode its bottom line, Moody's said. NYSE Euronext also operates bourses in Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels, among other locations.