The Fitch Group is a global financial information services institution. It is a holding company wholly owned by Hearst Communications, with dual headquarters in New York and London. The firm was founded by John Knowles Fitch on December 24, 1914, in New York City.
The Group's core function is performed by Fitch Ratings, which is a credit rating agency. It is one of the "Big Three credit rating agencies," alongside Moody's and S&P Global Ratings, and is a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) in the U.S.. Its mechanism involves providing independent credit opinions, research, and data by evaluating the creditworthiness of entities like companies, governments, financial institutions, and structured finance products. This process helps investors and market participants make informed decisions. The Group also operates Fitch Solutions, which distributes Fitch Ratings products and provides credit market data and financial analytics.
A significant recent change occurred in April 2018, when Hearst acquired 100% ownership of the Group. More recently, Fitch Ratings launched the Strategic Institutional Account Group (SIAG) in February 2026 to provide a coordinated access point for its analytical expertise in the rapidly growing private credit market. Additionally, the Group acquired GeoQuant in June 2022, which led to its subsidiary, BMI, revamping the service as BMI Geo Risk Signals in June 2026 for real-time geopolitical and country risk monitoring.