DBRS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
DBRS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DBRS
- Legal name
- DBRS, Inc.
- Website
- https://dbrs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DBRS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Credit Rating Services
- NAICS
- Credit Bureaus (561450)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO/CBO/CFO) (FSACACAD)
Keywords
Where DBRS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
DBRS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
DBRS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DBRS (Dominion Bond Rating Service), operating as Morningstar DBRS, is an independent credit rating agency that provides credit risk assessments and ratings for sovereign governments, corporations, financial institutions, and structured finance products. The agency evaluates debt issuers and assigns credit ratings that inform capital markets participants and support regulatory compliance.
Product overview
DBRS (Dominion Bond Rating Service) is a credit rating agency that provides ratings for sovereign debt, corporate entities, financial institutions, and structured finance products. The source data does not contain detailed product descriptions or named product offerings beyond the agency's general credit rating services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sovereign Credit Ratings Independent credit ratings for sovereign governments and government entities to support debt issuance, investor decision-making, and regulatory compliance.
Quantifiable outcome
- First investment-grade rated GPU-backed financing in the industry (CoreWeave $8.5B loan)
Companies that use DBRS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DBRS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DBRS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BaringsminorDBRS served as the ratings agency for the $365 million financing partnership between Barings and Partners Group, supporting the Partners Group Private Loans SICAV-SIF evergreen private credit vehicle with investment-grade rated loans.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DBRS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- S&P Global Ratings: S&P Global Ratings is the largest of the Big Three global credit rating agencies and a direct competitor across sovereign, corporate, financial institution, and structured finance ratings. It is the dominant incumbent against whom DBRS competes for issuer mandates and investor mindshare.
- Moody's Ratings: Moody's Ratings is one of the Big Three global CRAs and a direct competitor across all major rating segments served by DBRS. Its scale, brand, and methodology leadership in structured finance make it one of the most direct competitive benchmarks for Morningstar DBRS.
- Fitch Ratings: Fitch Ratings is the third of the Big Three global CRAs and competes with DBRS across sovereign, bank, corporate, and structured finance ratings globally. Its broad geographic footprint and bank-focused franchise make it a particularly close peer for DBRS's European sovereign and financial institution business.
Direct peers
- Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA): KBRA is an independent NRSRO-registered credit rating agency that directly competes with DBRS, particularly in structured finance, ABS, and private credit ratings. It has been one of the fastest-growing challenger CRAs and competes head-to-head with DBRS for mid-market and non-Big-Three mandates.
- Egan-Jones Ratings Company: Egan-Jones is an independent NRSRO-registered credit rating agency competing with DBRS for corporate, financial institution, and structured finance mandates. It is a smaller challenger CRA that competes with DBRS for share outside the Big Three's core franchises.
- A.M. Best Rating Services: A.M. Best is a global credit rating agency specializing in the insurance industry, recognized as an NRSRO. While narrower in scope than DBRS, it is a directly comparable specialist CRA business with a similar model of issuer-paid ratings and methodology-driven franchise.
Regional players
- HR Ratings: HR Ratings is a Mexican-based credit rating agency recognized as a global NRSRO that competes with DBRS primarily across Latin American sovereign, sub-sovereign, and corporate ratings. It represents a regional challenger in markets where DBRS is also active.
- Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR): JCR is a Japanese credit rating agency with NRSRO recognition, competing with DBRS primarily in Asia-Pacific sovereign and corporate ratings. It is a regional peer with a similar issuer-pays model and full-stack rating offerings.
Others
- Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar is the parent company of DBRS and the broader investment research and data platform that distributes DBRS's ratings. While not a direct competitor, it is the corporate parent that provides distribution synergies, capital, and integrated data products around DBRS's ratings franchise.
- Creditsafe: Creditsafe is a global business credit reporting and data provider that competes with the data and analytics extensions of DBRS's franchise, particularly for SME and commercial credit intelligence. It is an adjacent credit-information provider rather than a direct CRA competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DBRS social profiles
Digital presenceDBRS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DBRS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
DBRS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DBRS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DBRS
What does DBRS do?
DBRS (Dominion Bond Rating Service), operating as Morningstar DBRS, is an independent credit rating agency that provides credit risk assessments and ratings for sovereign governments, corporations, financial institutions, and structured finance products. The agency evaluates debt issuers and assigns credit ratings that inform capital markets participants and support regulatory compliance.
Is DBRS a public or private company?
DBRS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DBRS founded?
DBRS was founded in 1976. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is DBRS based?
DBRS is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
Who are DBRS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are S&P Global Ratings, Moody's Ratings and Fitch Ratings. Direct peers are Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), Egan-Jones Ratings Company and A.M. Best Rating Services. Regional players are HR Ratings and Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR). Others are Morningstar, Inc. and Creditsafe.
Does DBRS have an API?
No public API is recorded for DBRS.
What industry is DBRS in?
DBRS's product category is Credit Rating Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACACAD, Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO/CBO/CFO). Its NAICS code is 561450 and its SIC code is 6159.