21.   The hopes for Mexico getting an investment grade rating any time soon have all but disappeared.

22.   The investment bankers counter that lining up loans to companies without investment ratings is just an extension of their current business.

23.   The lowest investment grade rating is BBB-.

24.   The rating of Poland makes it the first country to receive an investment grade rating for its Brady bonds.

25.   The warning prompted analysts to cut their investment ratings on the stock.

26.   Thomas Kurlak, a semiconductor industry analyst for Merrill Lynch, the largest institutional holder of Cirrus stock, cut his investment ratings for six chip makers.

27.   This was the first commodity-backed bond sold in Peru to receive an investment grade rating.

28.   Virtually every major Wall Street cut its investment rating for Oracle.

29.   Money was lent despite the lack of investment grade ratings for the borrowers and the money going into dubious projects.

30.   U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray lowered its investment rating on the Costa Mesa, Calif., maker of telecommunications fiber channel equipment on lowered first-quarter earnings estimates.