Step Up Rating Change means the first public announcement by either a Rating Agency or both Rating Agencies of a decrease in the credit rating of the Issuer’s senior unsecured long-term debt to below Baa3 (in the case of Moody’s) or to below BBB- (in the case of S&P). For the avoidance of doubt, any further decrease in the credit rating of the Issuer's senior unsecured long-term debt from below Baa3 in the case of Moody’s or from below BBB- in the case of S&P shall not constitute a Step Up Rating Change.
Step Down Rating Change means the first public announcement by S&P and, if applicable, each other Rating Agency appointed by or with the consent of Heimstaden Bostad, after a Step Up Rating Change, that the credit rating of Heimstaden Bostad's senior unsecured long-term debt is at least BBB- in the case of S&P and, if applicable, at least Baa3 in the case of Moody's and at least BBB- in the case of Fitch with the result that, following such public announcement, no Rating Agency assigns a credit rating below the aforementioned levels or any equivalent rating. For the avoidance of doubt, any further increase in the credit rating of Heimstaden Bostad's senior unsecured long-term debt above BBB- in the case of S&P and, if applicable, at least Baa3 in the case of Moody's and at least BBB- in the case of Fitch and in respect of any other Substitute Rating Agency, an equivalent rating or above shall not constitute a further Step Down Rating Change;
Highest Rating Category means, with respect to a Permitted Investment, that the Permitted Investment is rated by S&P or Moody’s in the highest rating category given by that rating agency for that general category of security. By way of example, the Highest Rating Category for tax exempt municipal debt established by S&P is “A 1+” for debt with a term of one year or less and “AAA” for a term greater than one year, with corresponding ratings by Moody’s of “MIG 1” (for fixed rate) or “VMIG 1” (for variable rate) for three months or less and “Aaa” for greater than three months. If at any time (i) both S&P and Moody’s rate a Permitted Investment and (ii) one of those ratings is below the Highest Rating Category, then such Permitted Investment will, nevertheless, be deemed to be rated in the Highest Rating Category if the lower rating is no more than one rating category below the highest rating category of that rating agency. For example, a Permitted Investment rated “AAA” by S&P and “Aa3” by Moody’s is rated in the Highest Rating Category. If, however, the lower rating is more than one full rating category below the Highest Rating Category of that Rating Agency, then the Permitted Investment will be deemed to be rated below the Highest Rating Category. For example, a Permitted Investment rated “AAA” by S&P and “A1” by Moody’s is not rated in the Highest Rating Category.
Moody s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Substitute Rating Agency means a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as that term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, selected by the Company (as certified by a resolution of the Board of Directors delivered to the Trustee) as a replacement agency for Moody’s or S&P Global Ratings, or both of them, as the case may be.
Rating Category means one of the generic rating categories of any Rating Agency without regard to any refinement or gradation of such rating by a numerical modifier or otherwise.