S&P affirms US AA-plus rating

Standard & Poor’s on Friday affirmed the AA-plus rating of the United States,citing the resilience of the world’s biggest economy,its monetary credibility and the dollar’s status as the world’s key reserve currency.

But the credit ratings agency also said the U.S. outlook remained negative,reflecting S&P’s opinion that sovereign risks – “primarily political and fiscal” – could lead to a downgrade of the long-term rating by 2014.

The United States lost its top-tier AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s last August in a decision that saw the government question the ratings agency’s methodology.