By Kelly Cloonan

Moody's cut Xerox's credit ratings, citing concerns over the company's financial performance since its deal to acquire Lexmark closed last year.

The ratings agency on Friday downgraded Xerox's corporate family rating one level to Caa2 from B2. Moody's also assigned a Caa3 rating to Xerox's step up backed senior unsecured notes due in 2030. The ratings outlook was changed to negative from stable.

Moody's said the downgrade was driven by Xerox's worse-than-planned performance after its $1.5 billion acquisition of printer maker Lexmark closed in July 2025. Continuing challenges in the printer market and subsequent revenue declines may make it difficult for Xerox to refinance its debt before it matures in 2028, Moody's said.

Moody's said Xerox will likely remain under pressure as its large peers; such as Canon, Fujifilm and HP; benefit from more diverse revenue streams and stronger balance sheets. The ratings agency expects Xerox's revenue to decline by a low- to mid-single-digit rate, partially offset by margin improvements as the company realizes synergies from its Lexmark acquisition.

Xerox has also implemented a warrant program that allows for an effective exchange of debt at distressed levels for equity. If a material amount of debt is exchanged, Moody's said it could view the transaction as a distressed exchange.

Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 13, 2026 17:50 ET (21:50 GMT)

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