Approximately $1.2 billion of debt rated
New York, March 27, 2012 -- Moody's Investors Service assigned a Ba1 rating to The Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Company's ("Goodyear") new $1.2 billion senior secured
term loan. The new senior secured term loan along with a new unrated
$2 billion senior secured revolving credit facility will be used
to replace Goodyear's existing revolving credit and term loan facilities
and extend the capital structure maturity profile. In a related
action Moody's affirmed Goodyear's Corporate Family Rating at Ba3 and
other ratings as detailed below. The rating outlook remains stable.
Ratings assigned:
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
$1.2 billion second lien term loan due 2019, Ba1 (LGD-2,
16%);
Ratings affirmed:
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Corporate Family Rating, Ba3;
Probability of Default Rating, Ba3;
SGL-2, Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating;
$1.5 billion first lien revolving credit facility due 2013,
Baa3 (LGD-1, 5%) -- this rating will
be withdrawn upon replacement;
$1.2 billion second lien term loan due 2014, Ba1 (LGD-2,
16%) -- this rating will be withdrawn up repayment;
8.75% senior unsecured guaranteed notes due 2020,
B1 (LGD-4, 66%);
8.25% senior unsecured guaranteed notes due 2020,
B1 (LGD-4, 66%);
7.0% senior unsecured guaranteed notes due 2022, B1
(LGD-4, 66%);
7.0% senior unsecured unguaranteed notes due 2028,
B2 (LGD-6, 96%);
(P)B1, guaranteed senior unsecured shelf.
Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe B.V.:
Baa3 (LGD-1, 6%), 400 million of first
lien revolving credit facilities due April 2016;
Ba2 (LGD-2, 27%), 250 million of senior
unsecured notes due April 2019.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The affirmation of Goodyear's Ba3 Corporate Family Rating and stable outlook
continues to reflect the company's efforts to improve its business profile
by selling a greater share of higher value added tires in its product
mix, pursuing market pricing initiatives consistent with its higher
value added product line, and delivering on cost saving initiatives.
Please see press release dated February 23, 2012.
The new bank credit facilities will be used to replace Goodyear's
existing $1.5 billion revolving credit and $1.2
billion term loan facilities. The terms and conditions for the
new bank credit facilities will be substantially similar to the existing
bank credit facilities.
The principal methodology used in rating The Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company was the Global Automotive Supplier Industry Methodology published
in January 2009. Other methodologies used include Loss Given Default
for Speculative-Grade Non-Financial Companies in the U.S.,
Canada and EMEA published in June 2009. Please see the Credit Policy
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, based in Akron, OH,
is one of the world's largest tire companies with 53 manufacturing facilities
in 22 countries around the world. Revenues in 2011 were approximately
$22.8 billion.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
Although this credit rating has been issued in a non-EU country
which has not been recognized as endorsable at this date, this credit
rating is deemed "EU qualified by extension" and may still
be used by financial institutions for regulatory purposes until 30 April
2012. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the
Moody's office that has issued a particular Credit Rating is available
on www.moodys.com.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive
rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt,
in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed
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the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Timothy L. Harrod
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Michael J. Mulvaney
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
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JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's assigns Ba1 rating to Goodyear's new senior secured term loan