London, 01 May 2013 -- Moody's downgraded the global-scale insurance financial strength
rating (IFSR) of OJSC IC Allianz ("Allianz Russia") from Baa1
to Baa2. The Aaa.ru national scale IFSR was affirmed.
All ratings have a stable outlook.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating action follows Allianz Russia's continuing pressures
in underwriting profitability with combined ratios consistently above
100% over a number of years reflecting the highly competitive nature
of the Russian insurance market, notwithstanding some gradual improvements
in technical results following management actions.
At YE 2012, Allianz Russia's combined ratio continued to be
relatively high at 103.2% (YE 2011: 101.7%)
and gross premiums written decreased by 7% to EUR678m. We
note improvements in underlying earnings in recent years following management
actions (combined ratio down to 103% from 108% in 2010).
Nevertheless, combined ratios continue to be higher compared to
2009 levels (98%) reflecting the difficult competitive environment.
Moody's believes the consolidation of Allianz's Russian non-life
entities in 2012 can have positive impacts on the group's profitability
and franchise. However, although the integration will increase
Allianz Russia's consolidated premiums by around 20% by 2014,
we believe that the group's underwriting profitability is likely
to remain pressurized in the short to medium-term as competitive
pressures are likely to remain difficult.
The ratings have a stable outlook. Allianz Russia's ratings
continue to incorporate a significant level of support from Allianz SE
(IFSR: Aa3, negative outlook). We expect Allianz SE
to continue to support the company in distressed scenarios. Allianz
Russia shares the "Allianz" brand since 2012 and also benefits
from significant reinsurance protection as well as technical expertise
from its parent.
Upward pressure could arise on Allianz Russia's rating if underwriting
profitability substantially improves with combined ratio consistently
below 100% without significant deterioration in the company's
market position. Conversely, downwards pressure in the rating
could develop if 1)- capitalisation deteriorates substantially
with a regulatory solvency cover consistently below 115% or 2)-a
substantial deterioration in the quality of the investment portfolio with
significantly larger exposure to equities, property or non-investment
grade bonds.
Based in Moscow, Allianz Russia is a non-life insurance company,
subsidiary of Allianz SE. At YE 2012, gross premiums written
were EUR678m.
The following rating has been downgraded with stable outlook:
Allianz Russia- global scale insurance financial strength rating
to Baa2 from Baa1
The following rating has been affirmed:
Allianz Russia- national-scale insurance financial strength
rating Aaa.ru
The principal methodology used in this rating was Moody's Global Rating
Methodology for Property and Casualty Insurers published in May 2010.
Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for
a copy of this methodology.
Moody's Interfax Rating Agency's National Scale Ratings (NSRs) are
intended as relative measures of creditworthiness among debt issues and
issuers within a country, enabling market participants to better
differentiate relative risks. NSRs differ from Moody's global scale
ratings in that they are not globally comparable with the full universe
of Moody's rated entities, but only with NSRs for other rated debt
issues and issuers within the same country. NSRs are designated
by a ".nn" country modifier signifying the relevant
country, as in ".ru" for Russia. For further
information on Moody's approach to national scale ratings, please
refer to Moody's Rating Methodology published in October 2012 entitled
"Mapping Moody's National Scale Ratings to Global Scale Ratings".
ABOUT MOODY'S AND MOODY'S INTERFAX
Moody's Interfax Rating Agency (MIRA) specializes in credit risk analysis
in Russia. MIRA is a joint-venture between Moody's Investors
Service, a leading provider of credit ratings, research and
analysis covering debt instruments and securities in the global capital
markets, and the Interfax Information Services Group. Moody's
Investors Service is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE:
MCO).
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain 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 certain 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 certain 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
prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this rating action, the
associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Laura Perez Martinez
Analyst
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Simon Harris
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's downgrades Allianz Russia to Baa2; stable outlook