Fitch Ratings is one of the world's leading rating agencies. With more than 20,000 ratings and >1,500 analysts, Fitch is represented in 39 offices on all continents. Based in New York and London, the agency's roots go back to 1913, when Fitch developed the rating scale (AAA to D) that is still in use today and later also introduced the +/–additional information. Today, the Fitch Group is wholly owned by the US media group Hearst Corporation.