There's an old investment saying that goes something like (forgive my paraphrasing) “credit leads equity.” What that means is that a company's corporate debt can be a tell about future price action in the stock. Rite Aid recently exchanged $600 million in notes coming due in 2023 for notes maturing in 2025. While that move will help with interest expense, at least one ratings agency doesn't see a reason to upgrade the company's flimsy credit rating.