HypoVereinsbank, for example, says that sub-investment-grade loans actually account for less than 30% of its North American book.

ECONOMIST: Refuse in a storm

In the recent past, the only thing that kept private equity from gobbling up large public companies was a lack of available financing, especially of the riskier sub-investment-grade variety following the 2008 financial crisis.

FORBES: Year Of Failed Deals For Private Equity

On July 17th, Moody's, a credit-rating agency, gave warning that it was considering downgrading South Africa's sovereign debt to sub-investment grade, a move that would deter much-needed foreign investment.

ECONOMIST: South Africa

Is now a good time for you to send money to sub-investment-grade countries?

FORBES: Bond Funds: Higher Yields, Higher Defaults

The other metric that we follow very closely is credit spreads, and this is the difference between the yield between the sub-investment-grade bonds and the ten-year Treasuries, where the recent monthly returns in the stock market is favorable, when credit spreads are normal, compared to when spreads are very wide.

FORBES: How Moving Averages Gauge Index Strength

It shows that in 2010, 11.4 million pupils repeated a primary grade in sub-Saharan Africa, representing more than one-third of the global total.

UNESCO: EDUCATION

One plan is to split the A grade into four sub-categories.

ECONOMIST: Exams

Since then, every four-star kitchen renovation (and house that expects to sell for asking price) has required restaurant-grade equipment from Viking, Wolf, Gaggenau, Sub-Zero, Bosch and Miele.

WSJ: Keeping Up With the Vikings | Free Decorator