Companies ranging from Eastman Kodak to Unisys are at risk of defaulting on their debt in the eyes of credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Moody's is expected on Tuesday to publish a list detailing 283 such companies, called The Bottom Rung, which it will update monthly, according to a story published on the newspaper's website on Monday.

About 45 percent of companies on the list will default on debt in the next year, Moody's says, which could include anything from filing for bankruptcy to missing debt payments.

Companies in the U.S. car industry, retail chains, media and casino gambling dominate the list, and energy firms, airlines and restaurant chains appear often, the newspaper said.

The story quoted a Kodak spokesman as saying that speculation of this kind was irresponsible and added that the company is financially solid.

A Unisys spokesman was not immediately available.

(Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by Jan Dahinten)