rapidly swelling the population of US companies with [a] high default risk and weak liquidity," Moody's said in its report.
The list, which will be updated quarterly, names the firms that are the most likely to have difficulties paying their debts. Just 157 companies would have made the list if it had been compiled last year, Moody's said.
"These companies have not defaulted, but their current ratings indicate elevated risk of default relative to other rated corporate issuers," the report said.
Media and car companies make up about a quarter of the list, as both sectors are suffering from the reduction in discretionary spending during the global credit crunch. With rising unemployment and banks closing the tap on consumer and corporate loans, car sales have plunged, and so has the number of advertisements in newspapers and broadcasting.
Media companies such as Reader's Digest Association, Regent Communications, Affinity Group, Citadel Broadcasting and MediaNews Group are on the list.
The Affinity Group is the parent company of Camping World and the publisher of several RV-related magazines like RV Business, Motorhome and Trailer Life.
To read the complete story in the UK Guardian, click here.
UPDATE on March 11: The Tampa Bay Tribune reported today that Lazydays RV Supercenter, the nation's No. 1 RV dealership, also made the Moody's list of at risk companies. To view that report, click here.
