entire - Deutsche Bank Annual Report 2012

Deutsche Bank 01 – Management Report 40
Financial Report 2010 Operating and Financial Review
Liquidity and Capital Resources
For a detailed discussion of our liquidity risk management, see our Risk Report and Note 36 “Regulatory Capital”
to our consolidated financial statements.
Long-term Credit Ratings
We believe that maintaining a strong credit quality is a key part of the value we offer to our clients, bondholders
and shareholders. Below are our long-term credit ratings, which with the exception of Moody’s have remained
unchanged throughout 2010.
On March 4, 2010, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the long-term credit rating of Deutsche Bank AG
from Aa1 to Aa3. Moody’s attributed the downgrade to the bank’s continued preponderance of capital market
activities and the resulting challenges for risk management, the delay in the acquisition of Deutsche Postbank
AG and the consequent deferral of possible benefits of this acquisition, as well as Deutsche Bank’s other businesses
which have shown a greater degree of earnings volatility than expected.
Dec 31, 2010 Dec 31, 2009 Dec 31, 2008
Moody’s Investors Service, New York 1 Aa3 Aa1 Aa1
Standard & Poor’s, New York 2 A+ A+ A+
Fitch Ratings, New York 3 AA– AA– AA–
1 Moody’s defines the Aa rating as denoting bonds that are judged to be high quality by all standards. Moody’s rates Aa bonds lower than the best bonds (which it rates
Aaa) because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other
elements present which make the long-term risk appear somewhat greater than Aaa securities. The numerical modifier 1 indicates that Moody’s ranks the obligation
in the upper end of the Aa category. The numerical modifier 3 indicates that Moody’s ranks the obligation in the lower end of the Aa category.
2 Standard and Poor’s defines its A rating as somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations
in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
3 Fitch Ratings defines its AA rating as very high credit quality. Fitch Ratings uses the AA rating to denote a very low expectation of credit risk. According to Fitch Ratings,
AA-ratings indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Category AA
is Fitch Ratings second-highest rating category; the minus indicates a ranking in the lower end of the AA category.
Each rating reflects the view of the rating agency only at the time it gave us the rating, and you should evaluate
each rating separately and look to the rating agencies for any explanations of the significance of their ratings.
The rating agencies can change their ratings at any time if they believe that circumstances so warrant. You
should not view these long-term credit ratings as recommendations to buy, hold or sell our securities.