The industry body's survey comes as US lawmakers weigh up whether to strengthen the rules governing agencies. A bill currently in the US Congress would set up a new regulatory framework within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while a member of the Senate Banking Committee has said it plans to hold a hearing on rating agency conflicts of interest, competition and transparency in Mid-March. Most investors said the number of ratings a company had mattered, and a majority of those said three ratings was ideal. Fitch was also most widely cited by issuers as offering value for money. Earlier this year, S&P's parent, McGraw-Hill Cos. hailed record quarterly results at S&P, while Moody's parent Moody's Corp posted a 22 percent rise in net profit, boosted by surging demand for structured finance and other ratings. The survey compiled responses from 41 issuers, almost half of them corporate borrowers, and 51 investors, mainly asset managers.