In late May, Fitch Ratings cautioned that the outlook for debt issuance from central and eastern Europe might not be quite as rosy as some bond originators would have us believe. Although acknowledging that macroeconomic fundamentals in the region are strong and that the global environment remains generally supportive, the London-based ratings agency warned that substantial external financing requirements in some states mean that they are relatively highly exposed to a potential abrupt tightening in global liquidity. "Sovereign credit ratings in emerging Europe have risen further over the past 12 months, with seven upgrades and no downgrades," says Ed Parker, head of Fitch’s emerging Europe sovereign group. "However, upward momentum may be running out of juice, with only three countries – Armenia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine – now on a positive outlook and two – Hungary and Latvia – on a negative outlook."