A bond rating assigned to a somewhat speculative debt instrument. A BB rating reflects an opinion that that the issuer has the current capacity to meet its debt obligations but faces more solvency risk than an A-rated issue and less than a BBB-rated issue if business, financial, or economic conditions change measurably. Bond investors rely on bond ratings from organizations like Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings to evaluate the default risk associated with both corporate bonds and municipal bonds. Compare to AAA Rating, BBB Rating, B Rating; Junk Bond.