---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is hard to imagine that, having…"
description: "\"It is hard to imagine that, having downgraded the US, S & P will not follow suit on at least one of the other members of the dwindling club of sovereig..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/mohamed-el-erian-19946_clubs_it-is-hard-to-imagine-that-having-downgr_1043773.jpg"
---

#  It is hard to imagine that, having downgraded the US, S &amp;…

![“It is hard to imagine that, having downgraded the US, S &amp; P will not follow suit on at least one of the other members of the dwindling club of sovereign AAAs. If this were to materialise and involve a country like France, for example, it could complicate the already fragile efforts by Europe to…” quote by Mohamed El-Erian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/mohamed-el-erian-19946_clubs_it-is-hard-to-imagine-that-having-downgr_1043773.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/mohamed-el-erian-19946_clubs_it-is-hard-to-imagine-that-having-downgr_1043773.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/mohamed-el-erian-19946_clubs_it-is-hard-to-imagine-that-having-downgr_1043773.jpg)

> “It is hard to imagine that, having downgraded the US, S &amp; P will not follow suit on at least one of the other members of the dwindling club of sovereign AAAs. If this were to materialise and involve a country like France, for example, it could complicate the already fragile efforts by Europe to rescue countries in its periphery.”

[Mohamed El-Erian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-el-erian/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Downgrading the US could trigger similar actions against other top‑rated sovereigns, risking European stability if a country like France is affected.

**In simple terms:** US downgrade may cause other AA-rated nations to be downgraded, harming Europe.

Key Takeaway

Monitor sovereign ratings and diversify risk.

Themes

finance sovereign risk Europe politics market stability

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

analytical forecasting

When to use this quote

- investment decisions
- policy planning
- risk assessment
- portfolio diversification

Key Concepts

credit ratings systemic risk geopolitics

Questions to Reflect On

- How would a downgrade of a European AAA affect global markets?
- What safeguards can mitigate contagion?

A Different Perspective

If Europe’s rescue efforts fail, broader economic fallout may occur.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clubs/) [Countries Periphery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-periphery-2454395/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Downgraded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downgraded-480670/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Europe Rescue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe-rescue-2454397/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Having Downgraded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-downgraded-2454396/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-that/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Periphery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periphery/) [Rescue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rescue/) [Sovereign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign/) [Sovereign Aaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign-aaas-2454398/) [Suits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suits/)

## Related quotes

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> [I've always stayed on the periphery of things. When I used to go to the punk clubs and things like that, I was never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/i-ve-always-stayed-on-the-periphery-of-things-when-i-used-to-go-to/)

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> [I never run away from things but confront them, and I preferred to stay on the periphery of Mumbai film industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepti-naval/i-never-run-away-from-things-but-confront-them-and-i-preferred-to/)

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> [We make a mistake forsaking England and moving out into the periphery of life. After all, Taormina, Ceylon, Africa, America -- as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/we-make-a-mistake-forsaking-england-and-moving-out-into-the-periphery/)

[D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/)

> [When we are not realized, we are moving on the periphery, like a wheel and we are disturbed. But a realized soul is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/when-we-are-not-realized-we-are-moving-on-the-periphery-like-a-wheel/)

[Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/)

> [All right, I am often brash, rude and brutally direct. Someday I'm going to die and I don't have time to toe-dance around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/all-right-i-am-often-brash-rude-and-brutally-direct-someday-i-m-going/)

[Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/)

## More by Mohamed El-Erian

> [Investors should be cautiously positioned as the global economy and markets face major uncertainties. The downgrade will be a further headwind to growth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-el-erian/investors-should-be-cautiously-positioned-as-the-global-economy-and/)

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> [Today's reports confirm that, unfortunately, post-crisis America is still not back to its good economic self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-el-erian/today-s-reports-confirm-that-unfortunately-post-crisis-america-is/)

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> [ \[Could you show us how Lana Del Rey dances in a club?\] That would be illegal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/could-you-show-us-how-lana-del-rey-dances-in-a-club-that-would-be/)

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