ESSEN, Germany - The international rating agency Moody's has given Evonik Industries AG an investment-grade rating for the first time. Moody's has upgraded its rating from Ba1 with a positive outlook to Baa3 with a positive outlook. Last week, Standard & Poor's raised its rating significantly to BBB with a stable outlook. Evonik now has investment-grade ratings from two of the leading rating agencies.

Wolfgang Colberg, CFO of Evonik Industries, commented on the rating, "An investment-grade rating from both agencies is a very positive signal to the debt capital markets and confirms our strategic focus on specialty chemicals."