Moody's is widely expected to bolster its ranking of Irish bonds to Baa2 from Baa3 as the ratings company delivers its latest verdict on the country, according to six of nine analysts and economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Three analysts predict no change. The predicted hike comes as borrowing costs hovered around 2.6pc yesterday. "We'll go for an upgrade in rating this week given the generally bullish view Moody's seem to have right now on the euro zone," said Owen Callan, an analyst with Danske Bank in Dublin. To an extent, investors, who often ignore rating changes, have already upgraded their view of Ireland, reflecting European Central Bank president Mario Draghi's 2012 pledge to do "whatever it takes" to defend the euro. In January, Moody's upgraded Ireland's government debt from "junk" to higher quality "investment grade" status and also gave the country a positive outlook.