A type of analysis an investor or bond portfolio manager performs on companies or other debt issuing entities encompassing the entity's ability to meet its debt obligations. The credit analysis seeks to identify the appropriate level of default risk associated with investing in that particular entity. 



|||By identifying companies that are about to experience a change in debt rating, an investor or manager can speculate on that change and possibly make a profit. For example, assume a manager is considering buying junk bonds in a company, if the manager believes that the company's debt rating is about to improve, which is a signal of relatively lower default risk, then the manager can purchase the bond before the rating change takes place, and then sell the bond after the change in rating at a higher price.