Approximately EUR37.7 billion of rated debt affected
Frankfurt am Main, July 26, 2011 -- Add upgrades to (P)P-1 and P-1 from (P)P-2 and P-2
for issuers: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft,
BMW Australia Finance Ltd., BMW COORDINATION CENTER V.O.F.,
BMW Finance N.V., BMW Japan Finance Corp. ,
BMW Malta Finance Ltd., BMW US Capital, LLC under the
list of upgraded ratings.
Revised release follows.
Moody's Investors Service has today upgraded the long- and short-term
ratings of Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft ("BMW")and its
rated subsidiaries to A2/Prime-1 from A3/Prime-2 and assigned
a stable outlook.
"The upgrade reflects BMW's relatively good resilience through the crisis
in 2009 and its stronger and faster than anticipated recovery in operating
performance leading to financial metrics well in line with the A2 rating
category" says Falk Frey, Moody's analyst for European Automotive
manufacturer. "The upgrade also reflects Moody's confidence in
BMW's ability to sustain the achieved level of performance and credit
metrics over the next couple of years based on the company's various new
model launches planned within that period that benefit from an improved
cost position resulting from BMW's efficiency program. For example,
Moody's expects BMW to sustain a reported EBIT-margin within its
targeted range for 2012 of 8-10% over the next three years
in the Automobiles segment. " Frey added.
RATINGS RATIONALE
BMW's ratings are supported by (i) its leading position as premium manufacturer
with a strong brand equity value for the BMW brand in particular;
(ii) the group's leading position among premium manufacturers in reducing
CO2-emissions under its EfficientDynamics strategy; (iii)
BMW's global presence albeit still dominated by Europe and North America
as well as (iv) its broadening product range and rising number of model
variants reducing the dependency on the success of a single model.
However, the ratings continue to be challenged by relatively high
R&D costs per unit given its small comparative scale in order to comply
with stricter CO2-emission regulations and the development of electric
vehicles as well as persistent pressure on residual values in Europe.
Although Moody's recognizes the material contribution to BMW's current
operating performance from China that is not limited to the at equity
income from the joint venture but a material driver of volume increases
in BMW's German and US plants, we believe that the company can sustain
a scenario of sluggish demand from China without a significant deterioration
of its credit metrics and financial flexibility. We also note that
the company has a balanced geographical breakdown of sales.
On July 12, 2011, BMW Group raised its sales and earnings
outlook for 2011. Backed by strong light vehicle demand in most
markets during the second quarter and for the full year, BMW now
expects that business performance and earnings will be significantly better
than previously forecast. The company has raised its sales volume
and earnings forecast for the current financial year expecting unit sales
in 2011 to increase more than 10% compared to the previous year
to over 1.6 million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand
cars. The forecast for the year had previously been for a sales
volume of over 1.5 million units. In the first six months
period of the current year vehicle sales increased by 19.7%
to 833,366 units.
In view of the strong performance to date and the good outlook for the
coming months, the Automotive segment is now expected to achieve
an EBIT margin of over 10% for the full year, compared to
the previous forecast of over 8%.
BMW also notes that sales volume and earnings growth in the automotive
segment will likely be dampened during the second half of the year by
changes affecting some of the BMW Group's high-volume models as
well as by the market launch and production start-up of successor
models.
The stable outlook is based on Moody's expectation that BMW will be able
to (i) sustain an EBIT-margin as reported under its Segment Automobiles
that falls within the company's target range for 2012 of 8-10%
in each of the next three years; (ii) generate free cash flows of
above EUR2.0 billion annually; (iii) keep a solid liquidity
profile with available cash sources for the next 12-15 months covering
the anticipated cash needs over the same period under Moody's scenario.
A further upgrade of BMW's ratings over the short to medium term is rather
unlikely. However, upward pressure on the ratings could occur
should BMW demonstrate a continued high earnings and cash generation level
beyond 2012 while at the same time maintaining its brand equity value,
broadening its global footprint as well as successfully introducing additional
new models and variants, growing its market share position in the
premium car markets, defending its technological leadership positioning
and meeting the required emission standards.
The A2 ratings could come under pressure should BMW exhibit (i) negative
market share development in key markets driven by the successful renewal
of existing products, the introduction of new products, the
successful penetration in emerging markets as well as a positive consumer's
perception of BMW's leading position in reducing CO2-emissions
among the premium car manufacturers; (ii) FCF generation fall sustainably
below EUR1.5 billion; (iii) EBITA margin fall below 7.0%
as well as (iv) interest cover (EBITA/interest Expense) of less than 5.0x
or (v) a weakening of the company's liquidity profile.
BMW has ongoing financing needs related to the funding of its customers
while the industrial activities should be largely self funding.
As at the end of the first quarter 2011, the company's sources of
cash included EUR8.3 billion in cash and marketable debt securities
(with some haircut) as well as the USD8.0 billion headroom under
its unutilized credit facility, combined with an improvement in
expected operating cash flow. In addition, Moody's recognizes
BMW's U.S. bank subsidiary to have access to the Federal
Reserve Bank's refinancing window by pledging certain qualifying assets.
In sum these available cash sources are deemed as sufficient to cover
potential needs arising from capital expenditures, dividend payments,
working capital, day to day needs, debt maturities over the
next twelve months.
Upgrades:
..Issuer: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2,
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper,
Upgraded to P-1 from P-2
..Issuer: BMW Australia Finance Ltd.
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
..Issuer: BMW Canada Inc.
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
..Issuer: BMW COORDINATION CENTER V.O.F.
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper,
Upgraded to P-1 from P-2
..Issuer: BMW Finance N.V.
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper,
Upgraded to P-1 from P-2
..Issuer: BMW Japan Finance Corp.
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
..Issuer: BMW Malta Finance Ltd.
....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper,
Upgraded to P-1 from P-2
..Issuer: BMW US Capital, LLC
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Upgraded to (P)A2/(P)P-1 from (P)A3/(P)P-2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper,
Upgraded to P-1 from P-2
..Issuer: Spartanburg (County of) SC
....Senior Unsecured Revenue Bonds,
Upgraded to A2 from A3
The principal methodology used in rating Bayerishce Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
was the Global Automobile Manufacture Industry Methodology published in
June 2011.
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft is the only European car manufacturer focused entirely
on the premium segment, manufacturing and selling the BMW,
MINI and Rolls-Royce brands as well as motorcycles. The
group's financial services business offers leasing, retail and dealership
financing, and holds a bank license through its wholly owned subsidiaries
BMW Bank GmbH and BMW Bank of North America, Inc. In fiscal
2010 the group generated revenues of EUR60.5 billion.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
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
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.
The rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s)
and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
Information sources used to prepare the rating are the following:
parties involved in the ratings, public information, and confidential
and proprietary Moody's Investors Service information.
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Frankfurt am Main
Falk Frey
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Paris
Eric de Bodard
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's France SAS
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
Frankfurt am Main 60322
Germany
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Correction to Text, July 22, 2011 Release: Moody's upgrades BMW's ratings to A2/P-1 from A3/P-2 with a stable outlook