Spread Research SAS is a Frenchcredit rating agency and independent credit research company.[1]
The company was founded in 2004 and in 2013 became the first French credit rating agency to be authorised.[2][3][4][5] The company is based inLyon, France,[4][5] and has a presence in London[4] and Paris.[2] Spread Research has been certified as credit rating agency by theEuropean Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) since mid-2013,[2][5] allowing the company to operate in Europe.[3]
As of 2013, the company had 15 employees.[2] In France, until 2013, only the branches ofStandard and Poor's,Moody's andFitch Ratings were certified by the ESMA.[3][5] Spread Research operates under an investor-pays model, rather than being paid by rated companies.[3][4][5]
Spread Research has been awarded "Top 5 Best Credit Research" by Credit Magazine in 2010.[6][verification needed]