New York, March 08, 2013 -- Moody's Investors Service today assigned a Baa2 rating to Avon Products,
Inc.'s ("Avon") senior unsecured notes issues totaling $1.5
billion. The outlook is stable.
Ratings assigned to Avon Products, Inc. include the following:
$250 million 2 3/8% notes due 2016 at Baa2;
$500 million 4.6% notes due 2020 at Baa2;
$500 million 5.0% notes due 2023 at Baa2; and
$250 million 6.95% Notes due 2043 at Baa2.
Rating Rationale:
Avon's Baa2 senior unsecured rating reflects its position as the world's
largest direct selling company, its strong brand recognition,
and broad geographic diversification, especially in higher growth
developing markets. Avon's ratings are constrained by its modest
free cash flow due to elevated capital spending requirements and high
working capital needs as well as the recent volatility in active representative
and organic revenue growth trends. Improving profitability is further
challenged by the highly competitive nature of the global beauty and personal
care category which has required Avon to sustain high levels of brand
advertising and representative investments. Moody's notes that
Avon remains at a competitive advantage in key emerging markets as the
leader in the direct selling channel and its emphasis on low-priced
beauty and fashion and home products. The ratings also reflect
the risks inherent in a direct selling model, even when this business
model is well-managed. Avon Capital's Prime-2 short-term
rating reflects its excellent liquidity profile supported by sizable offshore
cash holdings.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation for improvement in Avon's
operating performance over the next 12-18 months, but still
reflecting a Baa2 credit profile. Specifically, profitability,
free cash flow and leverage should improve driven by better productivity
in key international growth markets and more disciplined working capital
management. Over the next 12 to 18 months, Moody's expects
steady recovery in operating and financial performance including organic
growth of low-to-mid single digits, debt-to-EBITDA
approaching 3.0 times and EBIT-to-interest coverage
to remain comfortably above 4.5 times despite higher interest costs
(including Moody's standard analytic adjustments).
A ratings upgrade would require Avon to demonstrate that its turnaround
initiatives are successful, that certain operational and execution
related problems have been addressed, and that growth in active
representatives and organic sales are restored to mid-single digit
levels. Accordingly, Avon's credit metrics would need to
improve such that EBIT margins approach double digit, retained cash
flow-to-net debt is sustained above 30% and EBIT-to-interest
expense is sustained above 5.0 times.
Avon's ratings could be downgraded if the company fails to sustain its
current profitability and margins or if credit metrics deteriorate such
that retained cash flow-to-net debt is sustained below 20%
or EBIT-to-interest expense is sustained below 4.0
times.
Avon Products, Inc., based in New York City,
is the world's leading direct seller of beauty-related products
and fashion jewelry with a worldwide independent direct sales force of
approximately 6.4 million independent representatives. The
company's product categories include Beauty, comprised of cosmetics,
fragrances, skin care, and toiletries; Beauty Plus,
comprised of jewelry, watches, apparel, and accessories;
and Beyond Beauty, comprised of home, gift, and decorative
products. Avon's revenues during the fiscal year ended December
31, 2012 were approximately $11 billion.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Packaged Goods
published in December 2012. Please see the Credit Policy page on
www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
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.
Janice Hofferber, CFA
Senior Vice President
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
Peter H. Abdill, CFA
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's rates Avon's $1.5 billion notes offering Baa2 with stable outlook