Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Jul 28
S&P Global Buys Majority Stake in Agusto as Africa Agency Has Issued 3,000 Ratings
Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Jul 28

S&P Global Buys Majority Stake in Agusto as Africa Agency Has Issued 3,000 Ratings

3 articles · Updated · Business Insider Africa · Jul 28

Summary

  • S&P Global agreed to buy a majority stake in Agusto & Co., with the deal due to close in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals.
  • Agusto will keep its own methodologies and credit opinions while gaining S&P resources, extending the US group's reach into African domestic debt markets where demand for local ratings is rising.
  • More than 3,000 ratings have been assigned by Agusto across Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana over three decades, covering banks, corporates, funds and sovereign-related entities.
  • The transaction lands as African governments press for reforms to global sovereign ratings, saying they overstate risk and raise borrowing costs, even as S&P and Moody's reject bias claims.
  • S&P announced the acquisition alongside strong second-quarter results—revenue rose 10% to $4.15 billion and adjusted EPS 23% to $4.83—underscoring broader expansion in analytics and ratings.

Insights

Will S&P's takeover of Africa's top rating agency dismantle the dreaded Africa premium, or quietly reinforce global biases?
Can a homegrown credit agency truly maintain its analytical independence when a global financial giant holds the majority stake?